THE COMMON BITTERK 



BOTAURUS STELLARIS. 



Moustaches and crown b^ack; upper plumage yellowish rust-red, spotted with 

 dusky ; the feathers of the neck elongated, marked with brown zigzag lines ; 

 primaries barred with rust-red and dusky grey; plumage beneath paler, marked 

 with oblong dusky streaks ; upper mandible brown, edged with yellow ; lower, 

 orbits, and feet, greenish yellow ; irides bright yellow. Length two feet four 

 inches. Eggs dingy green. 



The association of tlie Bittern in more than one passage 

 of Holy Scripture with otli^i: emblems of dreariness and 

 sterility, accounts in a measure for its introduction into 

 modern poems on kindred subjects ; but it is questionable 



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