AMERICAN BITTERN. 97 



feet sprawling, often holding themselves in position by using 

 their naked wings as hands, the " thumb " very noticeable as they 

 pushed against the sedges. They rested on the whole leg, not 

 merely on the tarsus. The long soft down, Mars brown to fawn, 

 rose like a golden halo, filmy when stirred by the wind, 

 above their diabolical bare faces. On back and shoulders it 

 was thicker and warmer in tint, but through it the skin looked 

 greenish. Their bills were livid blue-green, and from the chin, 

 down the scraggy neck to the breast and belly was a naked 

 tract, livid blue. The browns, blues, and greens were wonder- 

 fully in harmony with the surroundings. The irides were very 

 pale brown, but they appear to vary, changing to greenish blue, 

 and later to the yellow of maturity. The birds did not appear to 

 be frightened ; indeed, they looked as if they wished to frighten, 

 and they kept up an incessant quaint cackling, impossible to 

 describe. Older birds (Plate 37) have a bubbling cry. The 

 youngest bird had the bill rose-pink, and in adult birds it is 

 greenish yellow. Two days later these young birds were more 

 active, the bigger ones constantly leaving the nest to hide, and 

 when they are some days old they wander and are difficult to 

 find, though keeping near the nest so long as they need the 

 help of the parent. 



The sexes are alike in plumage. The head is blackest, the 

 back streaked and barred with black, the lighter under parts 

 boldly streaked with brown. Length, 28 ins. Wing, 13 ins. 

 Tarsus, 3'8 ins. 



American Bittern. Botaums lentiginosns (Mont.). 



About forty examples of the American Bittern (Plate 32) 

 have wandered to Britain ; at least fifteen of these are recorded 

 for Ireland. The bird is found throughout North America, 

 and in winter in the West Indies. Where the date of occur- 

 rence is known it has been, with very few exceptions, during 

 the normal time of migration, between October and February. 



Series If. H 



