ARDEIN^E. BOTAURUS. 125 



hind part of the neck, wing-coverts, and breast, brownish-red, 

 streaked with dusky and brown. 



Male, 14 J, 22, 6J, 2, lf, Ifr, T V ; 



This species, which is very extensively distributed in Eu- 

 rope, Asia, and Africa, is rather of accidental than of regular 

 occurrence in Britain, where it has not hitherto been observed 

 to breed. Dr Fleming makes mention of one that was shot 

 at Sanda, in Orkney ; but I am not aware of its having been 

 killed, or even seen, on the mainland of Scotland. In many 

 parts of England, however, it has been frequently procured. 

 It inhabits the swampy sides of lakes and rivers, or wherever 

 there is a rank growth of aquatic plants ; and feeds on small 

 fishes, young frogs, newts, aquatic insects, worms, and mol- 

 lusca. The eggs, four or five, are white, broadly elliptical, 

 an inch and five-twelfths in length. 



Boonk. Long-neck. 



Ardea minuta, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. 240. Ardea minuta, 

 Lath. Ind. Ornith. ii. 683. Ardea minuta, Temm. Man. 

 d' Ornith. ii. 584. Ardea minuta, Little Bittern, MacGilli- 

 vray, Brit. Birds, iv. 



219. BOTAURUS COMATUS. SQUACCO BITTERN. 



Bill slender, blue at the base, black at the point; feet 

 greenish-yellow ; the whole upper part of the head and nape 

 with long, linear, acuminate, decumbent, pale, yellow fea- 

 thers, having a black line on the outer edges ; the anterior 

 dorsal feathers elongated, with disunited filiform barbs ; the 

 upper parts pale reddish-brown ; the wings, rump, and tail 

 white ; the lower parts pale buff. 



Male, 19, . . , 9, 2, 2 T V, 2 T y, A. 



This species occurs in various parts of Asia, Africa, and 

 the south of Europe. Individuals migrate as far north as 

 Germany, and several have been obtained in the southern 

 counties of England. It has by some been referred to a ge- 

 nus distinct from the Bitterns, to which the name of Buphua 

 has been given. 



Ardea comata, Squaiotta, and castanea, Gmel. Syst. Nat. 

 i. 632. Ardea comata, Squaiotta, and castanea, Lath. Ind. 

 Ornith. ii. 634, 635. Ardea ralloides, Temm. Mun. d'Or- 

 nith. ii. 581. Botaurus comatus, Squacco Bittern, MacGU- 

 livray, Brit. Birds, iv. 



