File:Familiar life in field and forest; the animals, birds, frogs, and salamanders (1898) (14752208121).jpg

Identifier: familiarlifeinfi00math (find matches)
Title: Familiar life in field and forest; the animals, birds, frogs, and salamanders
Year: 1898 (1890s)
Authors: Mathews, F. Schuyler (Ferdinand Schuyler), 1854-1938 Underwood, William Lyman, phot
Subjects: Zoology
Publisher: New York, D. Appleton and company
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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begins operations by raising his head andstretching his neck until the bill is pointed up in theair; then with three or four preliminary snaps of thebill, which can be heard fully five hundred feet away,off he goes on his g-chug, g-chug, g-chug, g-chug,from four to eight times, when he tires of it and takesa minute to rest; then—da capo. Thoreau alludes to this remarkable bird thus: The stake-driver is at it again on his favoritemeadow. I followed the sound and at last got withintwo rods. When thus near, I heard some lowersounds at the beginning like striking on a stump or astake, a dry, hard sound, and then followed the gur-gling, pumping notes. ... I went to the place, butcould see no water. It seems Thoreau, like a goodmany others, imagined that the bird made the noisewith the help of water—by partly submerging hisbill. But all who know the stake-driver and hisstrange performance now agree that water has noth-ing to do with the case. I have heard and seen the bird on the river
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THE BITTERN.BOTAURUS LENTIGINOSIS. The stake-driver is at it again onhis favorite meadow. STRANGE CREATURES WITH STRANGE VOICES. 99 meadows of Grafton County, K H., and I know thatlie makes the noise when there is not a bit of waterin his vicinity. BradfordTorrey records a most inter-esting performance of a bit-tern which he witnessed incompany with Mr. WalterFaxon,* and he declares thatthe bird was perched onthe dry remnants of an oldhaystack. He furthermoresays the sounds are not en-tirely caused by an exertionof the vocal organs, but areconnected in some way withthe distention of the cropand the drawing in of thebreath, not the throwing ofit out after the crop is full. In the dim twilight suc-ceeding a warm day in springanother strange but familiar note comes across themeadow from the edge of the bordering wood, andwe recognize at once the hoot of an owl. It is abarytone note, and from its depth and freedom from

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