ARDEID.E — THE HERONS — BOTAURUS. 67 



than the micldle toe) ; the tibiae almost comiDletely feathered, and the claws very long and but 

 slightly curved. Tail, of ten short, soft feathers, slightly rounded or nearly even. 



Bill gradually tapering from the base to the point, the upper outline more convex than the 

 lower, the gonys very slightly convex and gently ascending, the lower edge of the maxillary rami 

 perfectly straight ; mental apex extending forward about half Avay from the centre of the eye to 

 the point of the bill, and slightly in advance of the anterior end of the nostril ; malar apex falling 

 far short of that of the frontal feathers. Toes very long, the middle one considerably exceeding 

 the bill and almost equalling the tarsus; inner toe decidedly longer than the outer; hallux about 

 half the middle toe ; claws very long (that of the hallux nearly equal to its digit), and but 

 slightly curved ; bare portion of the tibia shorter than the hallux. Tarsi with large regular 

 scutellse in front. 



Only two American species are known, l^oth very distinct. They may be distinguished by the 

 following points of difference : — 



B. lentiginosus. Nape and sides of the neck plain ochraceous, or only minutely freckled ; 

 wing-coverts minutely speckled with different shades of ochraceous or rusty. A blackish 

 or dull grayish stripe on the side of the neck. Lower parts distinctly striped. Wing, 

 9.80-12.00; culmen, 2.50-3.20 ; depth of bill through nostril, .50-.65 ; tarsus, 3.10- 

 3.85 ; middle toe, 2.90-3.60. Hab. — North America ; south to Gruatemala, Cuba, and 

 Jamaica ; Bermudas ; occasional iii British Islands. 



B. pinnatus.i Nape and sides of neck transversely rayed or barred with blackish ; wing- 

 coverts coarsely variegated, in irregular, somewhat " herring-bone" pattern with Tdackish. 

 No black or grayish stripe on side of neck. Lower parts nearly unvariegated. Wing, 

 10.10 ; culmen, 3.25 ; depth of bill through nostril, .70 ; tarsus, 3.75 ; middle toe, 3.75. 

 Hab. — Tropical America, north to Nicaragua. 



Botaurus lentiginosus. 



THE AMERICAN BITTERN. 



Ardm stellaris canadensis, Edwards, Nat. Hist. pi. 136. 



Le Bator dc la Baye de Hudson, Edwards, 1. c. 



Botaurus Freti-Hitdsonis, Briss. Orn. V. 1760, 450, pi. 37, fig. 1. 



Ardea stellaris, Varietas, FoRST. Pliilos. Trans. LXII. 1772, 410, no. 38 (Severn E.). 



Bittern, Var. A., Lath. Synop. III. 1785, 58. 



Ardca stellaris, B., Lath. Ind. Orn. II. 1790, 680, no. 18 B. (ex Edwards, pi. 136). 



Ardea mugitans, Bartr. Travels, 1792, . 



Botanrus mugitans, CouES, Check List, 2d ed. 1882, no. 666. 



Ardea Icntiginosa, Montague, Orn. Diet. Sup])!. 1813. — Sw. & Eich. F. B. A. II. 1831, 374. — 



NuTT, Man. II. 1834, 60. — Aud. Synop. 1839, 263 ; Birds Am. YI. 1843, 94, pi. 365. 

 Botaurus lentiginosus, Stephens, Shaw's Gen. Zool. XII. 1819, 596. — Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 



674 ; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, no. 492. — Eeichenow, J. f. 0. 1877, 248. — Eidgw. Nom. N. Am. 



B. 1881, no. 497. 

 Ardea hudsonias, Merrem, Ersch. Grub. Ency. V. 1820, 175. 

 Ardea minor, Wils. Am. Orn. VIII. 1814, 35, pi. 65, fig. 3. 

 Botaurus minor, BoiE, Isis, 1826, 979. — CouES, Key, 1872, 269 ; Check List, 1873, no. 460 ; Birels 



N. W. 1874, 523. 

 Butor americanus. Swains. Classif. B. II. 1837, 354. 

 Ardea mokolv, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. XIY. 1817, 440. 

 Botaurus adspcrsus, "Cab.," Bonap. Consp. II. 1857, 156. 



1 Botatjrtts pinnatus, Licht. 



Ardea pinnata, "Licht.," AVagl. Isis, 1829, 663. 

 Botaurus pinnatus. Gray, Gen. B. III. 557. 

 Ardea Irasiliensis, Max. Beitr. 1832, 642. 



