2064 



visitor, the little bittern ranges over Southern Europe to Northern Africa, and ex- 

 tends eastward to Kashmir and Northwestern India. , Migrating to South Africa, it 

 is represented there by a distinct resident species, while in America its place is taken 

 by a smaller form. 



Before the drainage of the fens and the general advance of cultiva- 

 tion, the boom of the bittern was a familiar sound in many parts of 

 England, but the bird is now only a somewhat rare visitor, although a nest was 

 taken as late as the year 1868. The common bittern {Botaurus stellaris) belongs to 

 a genus easily characterized by the great length of the toes, of which the third is as 



Bitterns 



COMMON BITTERN IN ITS VARIOUS POSTURES. 



(One-fourth natural size.) 



long as the metatarsus, by the three first quills being of nearly equal length and the 

 longest in the wing, and by the short tail comprising ten soft feathers. The strong 

 beak is rather longer than the head, somewhat higher than broad, and with the 

 extremity of its upper mandible slightly curved downward, the longitudinal slit-like 

 nostrils being partially covered by a bare membrane. The legs are of medium 

 length, feathered nearly down to the ankle, and with large scutes on the front of 

 the metatarsus, while the toes are of very unequal length, and the first unusually 

 elongated. Owing to the equality in length of the first three quills, the somewhat 



