"Ardetta cfilis" Notes of Mr. [illegible] and A. Phoenixian Middlesex Co., Mass. 1875. May 27 The water thin other brilt between some upright slender Haliks was barely a foot above the ground and almost entirely concealed by a canopy of dry grasses. While wading nearly up to my waist in water I flushed an Ardetta cfilis which rose from a clump of water plants and tripping some older [illegible] Armed as I was only with the little Stevens pistol I fired at the flying shot and following on came across the bird perched on an tall bush over the water: as I caught sight of it it also saw me and with a feeble flutter essayed to rise, but apparently finding the [illegible] too thick resumed its perch again balancing itself on the slender branch with some difficulty and after watching it a moment I shot it. It proved a 9 and judging from its pollen product and the presence of two eggs in the ovaries as large as gooseberry I [illegible] thought it probable that four or had already been laid though I was unable to find any signs of a nest when the bird rose. Disturbing the slender neck to a most noticeable degree was a young eel about four inches long; this fish was quite fresh and perfect and a careful examination revealed not the slightest scratch on its body form where I infer that the bird must pick up its prey instead of seizing it with the bill. Saw a pair of Nymphodia [illegible] & hard Gyles [illegible]