American Bittern 79 



and bill ; Felger states that two were taken by Mr. L. L. Llewellyn 

 at Fort Logan, close to Denver, August 30th, 1902, one of which is now 

 in the State collection at Denver. 



Family ARDEIDiE. 



This family is a large one, containing the Herons, 

 Egrets, Bitterns, and their allies. The bill is generally 

 slender and straight with the usual longitudinal groove, 

 and notched at the tip ; there are eleven primaries and 

 the number of the rectrices varies from eight to twelve ; 

 hind toe on a level with the others ; a basal web between 

 the middle and inner, nearly obsolete between the 

 middle and outer toes ; claw of the middle toe pectinated. 



For key of the genera, see p. 73. 



Genus BOTAURUS. 



Birds of medium size — wing about 12, with the bill rather short ; 

 culmen slightly shorter than the tarsus ; mandibles serrated near 

 the tips ; tail short, of ten feathers only ; tibio-tarsus feathered down 

 to about three-quarters of an inch from the joint ; tarsus distinctly 

 shorter than the middle toe and claw ; pliomage long, lax, mottled 

 yellow and black ; no ornamental plumes. 



A widespread genus found over the greater part of the world, with 

 only one American species. 



American Bittern. Botaurus lentiginosus. 



A.O.U. Checklist no 190— Colorado Records— Aiken 72, p. 209 ; 

 Drew 85, p. 18 ,- Morrison 89, p. 166 ; Cooke 97, pp. 19, 60, 197 ; Dille 03, 

 p. 74 ; Rockwell 08, p. 158 ; Henderson 09, p. 227 ; Felger 09, p. 285. 



Description. — Adult — Upper-surface ochraceous-yellow and dark 

 rufous freckled with dusky, becoming plain dusky brown on the 

 primaries and on the crown ; below paler yellow, with a number of 

 brown darker-edged stripes chiefly on the lower-neck and breast ; 

 white on the throat ; a black lateral streak on the neck ; iris yellow, 

 bill yellowish, dusky on the culmen, legs dull yellowish-green. Length 

 28-0; wing 11-25; tail 4-0 ; culmen 3-0 ; tarsus 3-60. 



The female is smaller — wing about lO-O, but the variation in size 

 is very great, irrespective of locality or sex. Coues gives the length as 

 varying from 32 to 45, and the wing from 9-50 to 13. 



