BOTAURTJS. Ill 



Griseus = grey, in post-classical Latin ; probably borrowed from O. H. Gr. 

 grls ; cf. mod. Germ, grau, our " grey, " grizzled," Lat. rdvus. 



A rare straggler to Great Britain. It inhabits Southern 

 Europe, Africa, and Southern Asia. 



Genus BOTAURUS, Stephens in Shaw's Gen. Zool. xi. 

 p. 592 (1819). 



Botaurus = a Bittern, in late Latin ; probably akin to our " Bittern," 

 French butor, &c. Certainly not derived from bos + taurus, though perhaps 

 confused therewith in popular etymology. 



Botaurus stellaris. BITTERN. 



Ardea stellaris, Linnaeus, S. N. i. p. 239 (1766). 



Ardea stellaris, Naum. ix. p. 159. 



Botaurus stellaris, Macg. iv. p. 410; Hewitson, p. 316 ; Gray, 

 p. 149 ; Yarr. ed. 2, ii. p. 539 ; id. ed. 3, ii. p. 571 ; Gould, 

 iv. pi. 27 ; Hurting, p. 56 ; Dresser, vi. p. 281. 



The Common Bittern, Yarr. ed. 1, ii. p. 475. 



Stellaris = starry, marked with stars (stella); a translation of Aristotle's name, 

 darepias (H. A. ix. 1, 23). 



Formerly common in the British Islands, now a straggler. 

 Inhabits the Palsearctic and ^Ethiopian Regions, extending 

 southwards into India and China. 



Botaurus lentiginosus. AMERICAN BITTERN. 



Ardea lentiginosa (Freckled Heron), Montagu, Suppl. 



to Ornith. Diet. (1813) . 

 Botaurus lentiginosus, Macg. iv. p. 417; Gray, p. 149; 



Yarr. ed. 2, ii. p. 545 ; id. ed. 3, ii. p. 577; Gould, iv. 



pi. 28; Harting, p. 150; Dresser, vi. p. 289. 

 The American Bittern, Yarr. ed. 1, ii. p. 481. 



Lentlgmosus = full of freckles, freckled ; from lentlgo = a spot shaped like a 

 lentil (lens). 



Has occurred several times in the British Islands. It 

 inhabits North America down to Guatemala and some of the 

 larger Antilles. 



