576 ARDEID^EJ. 



countries between the Black and the Caspian Seas. It is 

 found in the north-western part of India, at Bengal, and in 

 China. Colonel Sykes says it is rare in the Dukhun, but 

 that the species is identical with the European bird ; and 

 M. Temminck includes our Bittern in his Catalogue of the 

 Birds of Japan. 



The beak is greenish yellow, the upper mandible varied 

 with dark horn colour towards the point ; the lore green ; 

 the irides yellow ; the top of the head black, tinged with 

 bronze green ; the occipital feathers varied with transverse 

 bars of black and pale buff ; all the upper surface of the 

 body pale brownish buff, irregularly marked with black 

 and dark reddish brown ; the primary quill -feathers mottled 

 with greyish black and chestnut colour ; tail-feathers red- 

 dish brown, varied with black ; the cheeks buff ; the sides 

 of the neck the same, but with narrow transverse lines of 

 dark brown ; chin pale buffy white ; from the angles of the 

 mouth, and down the neck in front, are large longitudinal 

 streaks of dark brown and reddish brown ; the feathers of 

 the breast blackish brown in the centre, with broad margins 

 of buff; under surface of the body buff, with narrow streaks 

 of dark brown ; legs and feet grass green ; claws pale horn 

 colour, the middle claw pectinated. 



The whole length of an adult bird is from twenty-eight 

 to thirty inches. From the carpal joint to the end of the 

 wing, fourteen inches ; the first four quill-feathers nearly 

 equal in length, and the longest in the wing. 



Neither the females nor the young of the year differ 

 essentially from the males in their plumage. 



