AMERICAN BITTERN. 579 



This species is well known to American Naturalists, and 

 is found at different seasons of the year from Hudson's 

 Bay to Carolina. It has various names in different States ; 

 such as Indian Pullet, Indian Hen, and Dunkadoo, a 

 word, says Wilson, probably imitative of its common note. 

 In the markets of New Orleans, Mr. Audubon tells us, it 

 is bought in autumn by the poorer classes to make gombo 

 soup. In its habits and in its voice, it bears considerable 

 resemblance to our Common Bittern. It makes its nest 

 in swamps ; and Mr. Audubon says the eggs measure two 

 inches in length, by one inch and a half in breadth, and are 

 of a broadly oval shape, rather pointed at the smaller end, 

 and of a uniform dull olivaceous tint. Wilson says also 

 of this American Bittern, that the bird, when fat, is con- 

 sidered by many to be excellent eating. The stomach is 

 usually filled with fish and frogs. Sir John Richardson 

 says, "It is a common bird in the marshes and willow 

 thickets of the interior of the fur-countries up to the 58th 

 parallel. Its loud booming, exactly resembling that of 

 the Common Bittern of Europe, may be heard every sum- 

 mer evening, and also frequently in the day. When dis- 

 turbed, it utters a hollow, croaking cry." The term 

 mokoho, applied to this species by Vieillot, Wagler, and 

 others, has reference probably to the name by which this 

 bird is known among the Cree Indians. The specimen 

 from which Edwards drew the representation given in his 

 Gleanings, plate 136, came from Hudson's Bay. 



The beak is brownish yellow ; the upper mandible dark 

 brown along the upper ridge, and at the point : the lore 

 green ; the irides yellow ; crown of the head brown, tinged 

 with red ; from the forehead, before, over, and behind the 

 eye, a streak of light yellow brown ; occiput and nape 

 brown ; all the back of the neck below the nape bare ; in- 

 terscapulars, back, scapulars, and wing -coverts, rich brown, 



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