On the occurrence of an American Bittern in Ireland. 93 



diflferences have been stated that the description of the former 

 may suffice for the other, with the exceptions noted. 



in. lin. 



Length (total *) of Irish specimen 26 



Length of wing ,„. 11 9 



hill from first feathers on forehead to point 2 9 



hill to rictus 3 7^ 



tarsus 3 8 



naked part of tibia 1 2 



middle toe « 2 10 



middle claw measured in a straight line 7^ 



hind toe 1 5 



' ■ hind toe claw 1 0\ 



Although the European and American Bitterns have a general 

 resemblance, they are found, when compared by the ornithologist, 

 to differ in all respects. The latter is much the smallei' species, 

 but they both vary remarkably in size. The toes and claws are 

 much smaller in the American bird. The most striking diifer- 

 ence in its colour is the black stripe on each side of the neck, 

 which in the specimen before me commences 1|- inch below 

 the eye, and extends for 3 inches, until in the shading off of the 

 black the two stripes may be said to meet at the back of the 

 neck : the greatest breadth of this stripe is one inch. All the 

 feathers of the front and sides of the neck and breast having (as 

 already described) a dark central stripe, give to that portion of 

 the plumage a beautifully rich and regularly streaked appearance, 

 which is rendered further conspicuous by the entire absence of 

 dusky transverse markings, such as appear there in the Common 

 Bittern. The whole dorsal plumage is different in the American 

 bird, and much more handsome than in the other, consisting of 

 a beautiful mixture of brown of many shades and rich yellows, 

 and when the light falls upon it exhibiting reddish violet reflec- 

 tions, reminding us of the same parts in the Jack-snipe {Scolopax 

 gallinula) : a species which it likewise resembles in possessing 

 similar richly and beautifully coloured scapular feathers. The 

 tail-feathers t of the American bird are of a uniform dusky brown 

 — those of the European specimen compared with it have more 

 or less of a narrow stripe of black towards "the centre ; the rest 

 being all freckled or mottled with black on a rich buff ground : — 

 the quills of the American species are likewise of a uniform co- 

 lour, while those of the European are barred alternately with black 

 and buff, except at the tips, which are wholly black. Other 

 differences might be pointed out, but those mentioned are the 

 most striking. Temminck describes ^^ zigzag ^' markings on the 

 upper parts of the plumage and on the coverts of the wings J, 

 but there is not in the American Bittern before me any markings 



* Not quite satisfactory, as the bird had been skinned. 



f The tail-coverts are mottled. 



X Man. d'Orn. de I'Eur. vol. iv. p. 382. 



