"Second nest of Botaurus leucogaster" 351 MAINE, (L. Umbagog.) 1876. Monday June 5th Cloudy nearly all day & rather cool. Spent the first part of the forenoon writing letters. Started off in my boat at 10.30 and paddled up as far as Ston's when I landed on the floating island and began a search for Bitterns nests. I had hunted but a short distance when brushing about with the paddle among the low Blueberry bushes I felt a tap on its blade. Upon looking at the spot my surprise was great to see a 9 bittern sitting on her nest within a yard of me. She rises & puffs out that the chest was entirely concealed and naked after of her shape (yes visible except) a mass of brown plumage and the head's bill projecting from between the moulders; not a particle of the neck was exposed. After looking at her for some time I pushed her with the blade of the paddle when she stuck at it possibly with all the feathers of her crown rased. I actually tried for some time in vain to push her off the nest by main force and finally getting the blade behind her head I pushed it down on the ground so firmly that she gasped for breath whereas at helped offhand she took off the nest in silence and flew off to the main shore, then were two eggs only and I left them in hopes of her laying more. There was not a trace of fear in her bearing - only a fierce determined termination! This nest had some dry grass in its composition like the one found Sat., it was on the highest & Argist part of the island but unlike it