long, and in its stomach a large black cat. Being altogether undaunted at the sight of mankind, these birds are soon rendered familiar; and when fish or other food are thrown to them they catch them very nimbly, and immediately swallow them.

The Indians believe that these Cranes are invulnerable, and that they are animated by the souls of the Brahmins. They are held in the highest veneration both by the Indians and Africans. Mr. Ives, in attempting to kill some of them with his gun, missed his shot several times; this the byst nders observed with great satisfaction, telling him triumphantly that he might shoot at them as long as he pleased, but that he would never be able to kill any of them.

There seems no doubt that this is the species mentioned by Mr.

as

Smeathman, having been seen by him in Africa. The birds that he describes were at least seven feet high, and appeared at a distance not unlike greyheaded men. On the middle of the neck before, there was a long conic membrane, like a bladder, covered sparingly with short down, and rising or falling as the animals moved their beaks, but always appearing inflated.

These birds are found in companies; and, when seen at a distance, near the mouths of rivers, coming towards an observer, (which they

do with their wings extended,) they may be mistaken for canoes on the surface of a smooth sea; and when stalking about on the sandbanks, they appear like men and women picking up shell-fish on the beach.

A young bird of this kind, about five feet in height, was brought up tame, and presented to the Chief of the Bananas, where Mr. Smeathman lived; and in whose house it soon became perfectly fa miliar. It regularly attended the hall at dinner-time; and place

itself behind its master's chair, frequently before any of the guests entered. The servants were obliged to watch it carefully, and to defend the provisions by beating it off with sticks; yet, notwithstanding every precaution, it would frequently snatch off something from the table. It one day purloined a whole boiled fowl, which it swallowed in an instant. This bird used to fly about the island, and roost very high among the silk-cotton trees; from this station, at the distance of two or three miles, it could see when the dinner was carried across the court. As soon as this appeared it would dart down, and arrive early enough to enter with some of those who carried in the dishes.

When sitting, it was observed always to rest itself on the whole length of the hind part of the leg. It sometimes stopped in the room for half an hour after dinner; turning its head alternately, as if listening to the conversation. The courage of this bird was not equal to its voracity: for a child eight or ten years of age was able to put it to flight; though it would seem at first to stand on the defensive, by threatening with its enormous bill widely extended, and crying out with a loud, hoarse voice.

It preyed on small quadrupeds, birds, and reptiles; and though it would destroy poultry, it never dared openly to attack a hen with her young-ones. It had been known to swallow a Cat whole; and a bone of a shin of beef being broken, served it but for two morsels.

THE BITTERN.

The Bittern is not so large as the Common Heron. Its bill also is weaker, and not more than four inches long. The gape, however, is so wide, that the eyes seem placed in the bill. The crown of the head is black; the feathers on the hind part forming a sort of pendent crest. The plumage is of a pale dull yellow, variously marked with black. Some parts about the wings are of a bright rust color, barred with black. The tail is very short; and the feathers on the breast are long and loose. The legs are of a pale green color; the claws long and slender; and the inside of the middle claw is serrated, for the better holding of its prey.

This is a very retired bird; dwelling among the reeds and rushes of extensive marshes, where it leads a solitary life, hid equally from the hunter whom it dreads, and the prey that it watches. It continues for whole days about the same spot, and seems to look for safety only in privacy and inaction.

In the autumn it changes its abode, always commencing its journey or change of place at sunset. Its precautions for concealment and security seem directed with great care and circumspection. It usually sits in the reeds with its head erect; by which from its great length of neck, it sees over their tops, without being itself perceived by the sportsman.

The principal food of the Bittern, during summer, consists of fish and frogs; but in the autumn these birds resort to the woods in pur

suit of mice, which they seize with great dexterity, and always swallow whole. About this season they usually become very fat. The Bittern is not so stupid a bird as the Heron, but it is greatly

BITTERN.

more ferocious. When caught, it exhibits much rancor, and strikes chiefly at the eyes of its antogonist. Few birds make so cool a defence: it is never itself the aggressor; but, if attacked, it fights with the greatest intrepidity. If darted on by a bird of prey, it does not attempt to escape; but, with its sharp beak erected, receives the shock on the point, and thus compels its enemy to retreat, sometimes with a fatal wound.

When wounded by the sportsman, it often makes a severe resistance. It does not retire; but waits his onset, and gives such vigorous pushes with its bill, as to wound the leg even through the boot. Some

times it turns on its back, like the rapacious birds, and fights both with its bill and claws. When surprised by a dog, it is said always to throw itself into this posture. Mr. Markwick once shot a Bittern in frosty weather; it fell on the ice, which was just strong enough to support the dogs, and they immediately rushed forward to attack it; but being only wounded, it defended itself so vigorously, that the dogs were compelled to leave it, till it was fired at a second time and killed.

During the months of February and March, the males make a kind of deep lowing noise in the mornings and evenings. This is supposed to be the call to the females, and to be produced by a loose membrane, situated at the entrance of the throat, capable of great extension. The noise was formerly believed to be made while the bird plunged its bill into the mud; hence Thompson:

The nest of the Bittern is formed in April, among rushes; and almost close to the water. The female lays four or five greenish eggs

THE TIGER BITTERN-THE CURLEW.

725

and sits on them for about twenty-five days. The young-ones, when hatched, are naked and ugly, appearing almost all legs and neck; they do not venture abroad till about twenty days after their extrusion. During this time, the parents feed them with snails, small fish, or frogs. It is said that the hawks, which plunder the nests of most of the marsh-birds, seldom dare to attack those of the Bittern, on account of the old ones being always on their guard to defend their offspring.

A female Bittern, which was killed during the frost in winter, was found to have in her stomach several warty lizards, quite perfect, and the remains of some toads and frogs. These were supposed to have been taken out of the mud, under shallow water, in the swamp where the bird was shot.

There is a spccies of Bittern, found in Guiana, called the Tiger Bittern. It is about thirty inches long, and of a darker color than the common Bittern, which it resembles in appearance and voice. It frequents the banks of rivers and marshy places, and builds its nest upon the

ground.

TIGER BITTERN.

In this tribe the bill is long, slender, weak, and straight. The nostrils are linear, and lodged in a furrow. The head is entirely covered with feathers. The feet have each four toes; the hind one of which is very short, and consists of several joints.

THE CURLEW.

These birds differ much in size; some of them weighing thirty seven, and others not twenty-two ounces. The head, neck, and coverts

of the wings are of a pale brown color, and the middle of each feather

CURLEW.

is black. The breast and belly are white, marked with narrow oblong black lines. The back is white, spotted with a few black strokes. The quill-feathers are black, but the inner webs are spotted with white. The tail is white, tinged with red, and beautifully barred with black. The legs are long, strong and of a bluish gray color.

Large flocks of Curlews are frequently seen, in the winter season, on the sea-coasts, running about upon the sands, and feeding on shell-fish, crabs, and marine insects: they are also found in marshes, where they subsist on small frogs, snails, insects, and worms. Their bill is so long, weak, and slender, that it is calculated only for dig. ging into soft mud or earth, in search of prey.

Both the English and French names of this bird are evidently derived from its cry.

In summer-time the Curlews retire to mountainous and unfrequented parts of the country, where they pair and breed. The eggs, which are four in number, are of a pale color, marked with irregular but distinct spots of brown.

Their flesh, as food, varies much in quality, according to the season and the place in which the birds have fed. Those that are shot on the moors, are always better than such as are killed on the sea-coasts or in the marshes.

THE LONG-BILLED CURLEW.

The Long-Billed Curlew is seen in the inarshes of New Jersey, about the middle of May, on its way further north: and in September, or the latter end of August, on their return from their breeding places. Their southern migrations, in all probability, are bounded by the shores of the Mexican Gulf. Like most species of the genus, they retire into the desolate regions of the north to breed. According to Wilson, a few instances have been known, of one or two pairs remaining in the salt marshes of Cape May the whole summer; and they were believed to nest there on the ground, laying four eggs in size and color much resembling those of the Clapper Rail. Indeed, it will probably be found, that many birds, now supposed to pass the period of reproduction, in the remote regions of the north, only separate into solitary pairs, and disperse themselves through the vast wilds of the interior of North America.

The Long-Billed Curlews fly high and rapid, generally throwing themselves, when in company, into an angular wedge, after the manner of Wild Geese; uttering, as they fly, and when at all alarmed, a loud, short, whistling, and almost barking note, sometimes, as in other species of the family, strongly resembling the sibilation of the