File:A popular handbook of the birds of the United States and Canada (1903) (14752252265).jpg

Identifier: popularhandbook00nutt (find matches)
Title: A popular handbook of the birds of the United States and Canada
Year: 1903 (1900s)
Authors: Nuttall, Thomas, 1786-1859 Chamberlain, Montague, 1844-1924
Subjects: Birds -- North America
Publisher: Boston, Little, Brown
Contributing Library: American Museum of Natural History Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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can be filled with a largebody of air and exploded at pleasure. These bellowings arechiefly heard from the beginning of spring to the end ofautumn, and are the usual calls during the pairing season. The American bird, no less than the true Bittern, is con-sidered by many as excellent food. The Bittern is still a familiar bird throughout temperate NorthAmerica, breeding from the Middle States northward; but, likemany another bird whose form is familiar, the Bitterns habits areknown only to the few, and many erroneous opinions of its charac-teristics have been current. The booming of the Bittern has been a favorite topic of con-troversy ; but probably that matter has been finally settled by anaccount of the performance contributed to The Auk for Janu-ary, 1889, by Mr. Bradford Torrey. Mr. Torrey described the performer as first filling its crop withair, opening the bill and shutting it with a click, repeating thisseveral times. Then, while the bill is kept tightly closed, the air pijQir
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1 . WTiite-Rumped Sandpipep. 3. Bittern. 2 .Knot. 4:-. Sanderlino Killdeep. LEAST BITTERN. lOI from the crop is forced through the throat, producing a deep hol-low sound in three distinct syllables. The quality of the notessuggests their being emitted under water; and this has given rise tothe theory, so strongly urged by many writers, that the performerheld its bill under water. The emission of the sound is accom-panied by convulsive movements, as if the bird was vomiting. The Bitterns fondness for retirement has been exaggerated ; forthough it does dwell in the wilderness, — on the marshy marginsof streams and lakes, and in the depths of swamps,— I havefrequently found the nest close to a bustling village; one withinsound of childrens voices playing around a school-house. LEAST BITTERN.Ardetta exilis. Char. Adult male: crown, back, and tail black, glossed with green;narrow stripe of buff on each side of back ; back of neck chestnut ; wingsbuff and rufous; under parts pale buff.

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