ARDEIDJi:. 757 



Gen. BoTAURUS, Brisson. 



Char. — Bill rather short, stout, higher at the base than broad, 

 the upper mandible curved towards the point ; tarsi short ; tibia 

 feathered for the greater portion of its length ; feet very long ; 

 claws long, moderately curved ; neck short, densely feathered and 

 thick. 



The true Bitterns are nocturnal Herons, with thick necks, the 

 hinder part downy, but the sides and front with long lax feathers, 

 which can be expanded laterally at pleasure ; tliey have rather short 

 legs with long feet, and very beautiful mottled or game plumage. 

 They are solitary birds, inhabiting swamps and reedy marshes. 



936. Botaurus stellaris, Linn^us. 



Ardea, apud Linn^us — Blyth, Cat. 1650 — Jekdon, Cat. 310 

 — Gould, Birds of Europe, pi. 280 — Buz, H. — JSir-goung, H. of 

 some — Chita oyali. Beng. 



The Bittern. 



Descr. — Crown of head and a broad moustache black ; neck ochre- 

 yellow, with brown zig-zag lines on the sides, and long streaks 

 and spots of brown in front ; upper plumage ochre-yellow with a 

 tinge of reddish, each feather marked with a dusky spot ; prima- 

 ries and secondaries dark ferruginous, with bars of blackish brown; 

 all the coverts (except the primary) and the scapulars, mottled 

 yellow and dusky ; beneath, the same, but paler, and with large 

 dusky streaks. 



Bill pale yellow below and at the edges, brown above ; orbits 

 pale yellow ; irides bright gamboge-yellow ; legs greenish-yellow. 

 Length 26 to 30 inches ; of one 28 inches long ; extent 46 ; wing 

 13 ; tail 4^ ; bill at front 3 ; tarsus 3| ; middle toe and claw 4^. 



The Bittern of Europe is found throughout Central iind Northern 

 India, but is rare or wanting in the South. I have known of its havino- 

 been killed in the Deccan, and I have shot it in Central India and 

 Bengal. It frequents long grass or reeds by the sides of tanks or 

 rivers, and swampy ground covered with long grass. It is quite noc- 

 turnal in its habits, and breeds on the ground, near water, making a 

 large nest of sticks, reeds, &c., and laying, it is said," four or five 



