622 THE AMKRICAX T.ITTERN. 



No. 247. 



AMERICAN BITTERN. 



A. O. U. No. lyo. Botauriis lentiginosiis (Moiitag.). 



Synonyms. — I'.dC-iu'i.L. Stake-driver. Thundi;r-pump. Indian lii'.x. 



Description. — .liliilt: ricneral color ochraceous or ochraceous-huff ; darker, 

 brownish, on back, tlic crrjwn and ni)pcr liack washed with blackish, the neck 

 obscurely streaked with buffv and hruwn ; the back and win.»s finely mottled, 

 brownish, fuscous and nchraccous, becoming grader marginally on wing-coverts; 

 wing-quills and their coverts slaty ; inner primaries and the secondaries tipped with 

 ochraceous-rufous ; a glossy, black or blackish stripe on side of neck anteriorly, 

 continued to bill bv indistinct, brownish line; chin and u]iper throat white; belly 

 and crissum unmarked buffy; remaining umlerparts bnffy or v^diitish. marked 

 with large stripes of mottled ochraceous and dusk\- ; bill Ijrownish black on ridge of 

 culmen, pale yellow on sides and below; feet and legs yellowish green. \'ery 

 variable in size. Length 23.00-34.00 (584.2-863.6) ; wing 11. 13 (282.7) • tail 4-35 

 (110.5) ; bill 3.00 (76.2) ; tarsus 3.60 (91.4) ; middle toe and claw 3.98 (loi.i ). 



Recognition Marks. — Pirant size : 1 )chraceous coloration ; heavily streaked 

 below: secretive, ^wamp-loving ways: heavy flight: "pum|)ing" and "stake- 

 dri\'ing" notes. 



Nesting. — Nest: on the gmund in swamps, nr on diy >\vanip islands, a mere 

 depression with scant lining of grasses, etc. Eggs: 3-5, olive-drab or olive-buff, 

 unmarked. .Av. size, 1.90x1.44 (48.3x36.6). Season: c. June ist: one laroorl. 



General Range. — Temjieratc North .\merica south to Guatemala, Cuba, 

 Jamaica, and Picrnuida : occasional in British Islands. 



Range in Washington. — Regular but not common summer resident and 

 migrant in suitable localities thrnout the State. 



' Authorities.— Baird, Rep. I'ac. R. R. Surv. IX. 18^8, p. 67^. C&S. L'. Kk. 



J. B. ]-:. 



Specimens.— ( U. of W.) I'mv. P.. E? 



Tfllv records of the bug-hull in W'ashiiigli m are somewhat meager. 

 Suckley records a s]:)ecinien frcjm Fort Steilacoom ; and Bowles notes it as a 

 rare but regular migrant at Tacoma. T lia\e m\self seen it only at Brook 

 Lake, in Douglas Count\', where it un(|uestionabl\- breeds in the extensive 

 marshes bordering Crab Creek. Specimens are occasionally brought into town 

 by Inniters, who ])ersist in shooting strange creatures at sight — for no better 

 reason than that they are strange. For all that the P)ittern is so large to 

 appearance, it is a light-weight, a mere mass of skin and feathers, mit so 

 heavy as some ducks. A light cliarge of fine sliot will bring it down: but if it 

 is onl\- wounded, beware of that sliarj) beak, which shoots rnn \\kv lightning. 

 and strikes the eye of dog or master \\ith deadly precision. 



This curious fowl is at home in the f.astnesses of the swamp. Mere 



