On the occurrence of an American Bittern in Ireland. 98 
differences have been stated that the description of the former 
may suffice for the other, with the exceptions noted. 
in. lin, 
Length (total*) of Irish specimen ......scecsseveceeetececeneres 26 O 
Length of Wing  sssessessseecsrecnsenssscensrscesseeceerseaeeee Sac ga 
bill from first feathers on forehead to point ...... Seas 
WE AO PTRNG 6s cscacstativssccciveccees Ass con cnesaniens coer me ee 
TAVSUS secvereccsccccncesecccensrsecsescvenescceseuaserene oi 8 
—— naked part of tibia ..,.cscsscsesesececssrecces ences wel Rite 
———-——— Middle tOe cecscrcccrsrseccescesrerccerssesceroesseess erin mati’ 
—— middle claw measured in a straight line............ 0 7 
TING £00 | foi. ices ccsescecceveccarsvevcevnsscevesencscece Ce 
Pe PTA MOU CUSW sn bareceViaeses cnc ckbsbedeciocs ss tnetedss 1. OF 
Although the European and American Bitterns have a general 
resemblance, they are found, when compared by the ornithologist, 
to differ in all respects. The latter is much the smaller species, 
but they both vary remarkably in size. The toes and claws are 
much smaller in the American bird. The most striking differ- 
ence in its colour is the black stripe on each side of the neck, 
which in the specimen before me commences 13 inch below 
the eye, and extends for 3 inches, until in the shading off of the 
black the two stripes may be said to meet at the back of the 
neck: the greatest breadth of this stripe is one inch. All the 
feathers of the front and sides of the neck and breast having (as 
already described) a dark central stripe, give to that portion of 
the plumage a beautifully rich and regularly streaked appearance, 
which is rendered further conspicuous by the entire absence of 
dusky transverse markings, such as appear there in the Common 
Bittern. The whole dorsal plumage is different in the American 
bird, and much more handsome than in the other, consisting of 
a beautiful mixture of brown of many shades and rich yellows, 
and when the light falls upon it exhibiting reddish violet reflec- 
tions, reminding us of the same parts in the Jack-snipe (Scolopax 
gallinula): a species which it likewise resembles in possessing 
similar richly and beautifully coloured scapular feathers. The 
tail-feathers + of the American bird are of a uniform dusky brown 
—those of the European specimen compared with it have more 
or less of a narrow stripe of black towards the centre; the rest 
being all freckled or mottled with black on a rich buff ground :— 
the quills of the American species are likewise of a uniform co- 
lour, while those of the European are barred alternately with black 
and buff, except at the tips, which are wholly black. Other 
differences might be pointed out, but those mentioned are the 
most striking. Temminck describes “ zigzag”? markings on the 
upper parts of the plumage and on the coverts of the wings f, 
but there is not in the American Bittern before me any markings 
* Not quite satisfactory, as the bird had been skinned. 
+ The tail-coverts are mottled. 
{ Man. d’Orn., de l’Eur. vol. iv. p. 382, 
