40S 



BOTAURUS. BITTERN. 



The Bitterns are generally distinguishable from the other 

 birds of this family by the extreme compression of their 

 body, their shorter legs and proportionally longer claws, the 

 great elongation of the feathers of the neck, which is bare 

 behind nearly in its whole length ; their oblong, extremely 

 compressed head ; and very slender, straight bill. The 

 genus, however, is not clearly separated from the others, 

 into all of which it graduates. Ardea stellaris and Ardea 

 minor of authors may be assumed as among the most cha- 

 racteristic species ; while Ardea speciosa, Ardea minuta, 

 Ardea exilis, and other small species are allied to the Night 

 Herons. It is by these smaller species that an apparent 

 transition is made to the family of Rails, Water-hens, and 

 Jacanas, which they greatly resemble in form, often in 

 colouring, and not a little in habits, although the internal 

 structure of the two groups is quite distinct, there being no 

 blending of either the skeleton or the digestive organs. The 

 little Bitterns have by some been formed into a genus, to 

 which the name of Ardeola has been given ; but this sepa- 

 ration I think unnecessary. The general characters of the 

 Botauri seem to be the following : — 



Bill longer than the head, slender, straight, compressed, 

 tapering to a fine point : upper mandible with the dorsal 

 line almost straight, being but slightly decimate toward the 

 end ; the ridge flattened for a short space, then narrow ; the 

 nasal groove deep and extending to near the end ; the sides 

 convex ; the edges sharp, serrulate, with a notch close to the 

 acute tip ; lower mandible with the angle very long and ex- 

 tremely narrow ; the dorsal line almost straight and slightly 

 ascending ; the sides slightly concave and nearly erect ; the 



