BOTAURUS 579 



David and Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 446 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. xxvi. 



p. 253 ; Tacz. F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 991 ; Blanf. F. Brit. Ind. Birds, iv. 



p. 405 ; Saunders, p. 383 ; Lilford, vii. p. 38, pi. 13 ; Seebohnf, B. 



Jap. Emp. p. 226. 



Grand Eutor, French; Gallinhola real, Portug. ; Avetoro, 

 Span. ; Tarabuso, Ital. ; Eolirdommel, German ; Eoerdomp, 

 Dutch ; Rordrum, Norweg. and Dan. ; Rordrom, Swed. ; Wyp, 

 Russ. ; Niv-goung, Baz, Hindu. ; Sankano-goi, Jap. 



$ ad. (Holland). Crown and nape black, the latter with warm ochreous 

 tips ; upper parts generally warm ochreous buff, irregularly marked and 

 barred with blackish ; quills and tail chestnut-red, the former barred, the 

 latter blotched and marbled with black ; chin buffy white, with a dark 

 brown median and a lateral stripe on each side from the base of the bill ; 

 neck and breast-feathers elongated, the lateral ones yellowish buff, with 

 blackish bars, the middle ones ochreous, with broad central rufous streaks 

 marbled with blackish ; rest of under parts yellowish buff, streaked with 

 blackish brown ; bill and legs greenish yellow, the latter greener ; iris 

 yellow. Culmen 2*8, wing 11 '7, tail 4*45, .tarsus 3*5 inch. Female similar 

 but rather smaller. 



Hob. Europe generally, but rare in the northern portions, 

 formerly breeding in many parts of England, but now only an 

 uncertain visitor ; Northern Africa in winter ; Asia as far east 

 as Japan, north to the Yenesei and Lena, south to Ceylon 

 and southern China. 



Frequents large swamps, and reed-beds, and is shy and 

 secretive, and chiefly nocturnal in its habits. Its flight is soft 

 and noiseless but somewhat laboured and seldom prolonged. 

 Its usual call-note is a loud, clear croak, but in the breeding 

 season the male utters the loud booming sound, resembling the 

 deep bellowing of a bull, whence its name in so many lan- 

 guages is derived. It feeds on amphibians, water-insects, 

 worms, crustaceans, and small mammals. Its nest is a mere 

 bed of flags and reeds, placed on the ground or in the reed- 

 beds in some secluded rnarsh, and the eggs, 3 to 5 in number, 

 usually laid in May, are uniform brownish olive and measure 

 about 2-5 by T52. 



808. AMERICAN BITTERN. 

 BOTAURUS LENTiaiNOSUS. 



Botaurus lentiginosus (Montag.), Orn. Diet. Suppl. and pi. (1813) ; Gould, 

 B. of E. iv. pi. 281 ; id. B. of Gt. Brit. iv. pi. 28 ; Dresser, vi. 

 p. 289, pi. 404 ; Sharpe, Cat. B. Br. Mus. xxvi. p. 259 ; Ridgway, 

 p. 126 ; Saunders, p. 385 ; Lilford, vii. p. 39, pi. 14 ; B. minor 

 (Wils.), Amer. Orn. viii. p. 35, pi. Ixv. fig. 3 (1814) ; Audub. B 

 Am. pi. 337. 



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