35. BOTAURUS. 26S 



Av. Neotr. p. 125 (1873) ; Reichen. J. f. O. 1877, p. 349; Baird, 

 Brewer, ^ Ridgw. Water-B. N. Amer. i. p. 67 (1884) ; Salvin, 

 Ibis, 1886, p. 170 ; Heine ^ Reichen. Nomencl. Mus. Hein. p. 309 

 (1890: Guiana); Chapm. Bull. Amer. Mus. vi. p. 81 (1894: 

 Trinidad). 

 Ardea lentig-iuosa, Burin. Th, Bras. iii. p. 408 (1856). 



Adult male. General colour above black, only slightl}- varied with 

 sandy buff, with which some of the feathers are spotted or notched 

 on their outer web ; the wing-coverts like the back, but more 

 distinctly notched and barred with sandy buff or whitish, the 

 greater wing-coverts especially being barred ; bastard-wing, pri- 

 mary-coverts, and quills slaty blackish, all but the outer primaries 

 more or less distinctly mottled and tipped with sandy buff at the 

 ends, these tips being varied with blackish lines and mottlings, the 

 inner secondaries notched with sandy buff on both webs : lower 

 back and rump dull ashy brown, narrowly barred with sandy buff; 

 upper tail-coverts blackish, with more distinct bars of sandy buff; 

 tail-feathers black, a few freckled with buff on the margins ; crown 

 of head blackish, barred with sandy buff, much more distinctly on the 

 hind-neck ; sides of the face sandy buff with dusky bars, wider and 

 more distinct on the neck-frill ; chin and upper throat white ; lower 

 throat and fore-neck pale sandy buff, with longitudinal markings of 

 tawny buff or yellowish brown, relieved b}' narrow black shaft- 

 streaks and sub-terminal thread-like lines following the outline of 

 the feather ; remainder of under surface of body buffy white, the 

 sides of the body streaked with tawny buff, mottled with black, and 

 the lower flanks barred with black ; on each side of the upper 

 breast a patch of dark feathers, more or less marbled and barred 

 with buff ; under wing-coverts pale sandy buff, with diisky bars ; 

 the quill-lining grey : " bill brown above and on the edge of the 

 lower mandible, othewise brownish yellow ; bare lores dirty yellow, 

 with a dusky streak from eye to nostril ; iris clear yellow " [Neuwied). 

 Total length 30 inches, culmen 3'3, wing 12, tail 4'5, tarsus 4, 

 middle toe and claw 4 '4. 



Specimens which I suppose to be younger individuals are much 

 more tawny rufous than the one described above, and are never so 

 black on the upper surface, the central streaks to the feathers of the 

 throat and fore-neck being much brighter and light chestnut in tint. 



Hah. From Brazil to Guiana. Said by Lawrence to have 

 occurred in Nicaragua. 



a, h. (S ad. sk. Aunai, British Guiana, May 25, Salvin-Godnian CoU. 

 1889 {H. Whitely). 



c. Imm. sk. Cayenne. H. C. Rothery, Esq. 



[P.]. 



d. Ad. sk. Pernambuco {Craven). Salvin-Godman Coll. 



e. Ad. sk. Rio de Janeiro. Purchased. 



f^y- d $ ad. sk. Kio de Janeiro. Alexander Fry, Esq. 



[P.]. 



