OF THE HAMILTON ASSOCIATION. 95 



Each feather marked with a brown dark-edged stripe, the throat line white, 

 with brown streaks ; a velvety-black patch on each side of the neck above ; 

 crown dull-brown, with bufi superciliary stripe ; tail brown ; quills greenish- 

 black, with a glaucous shade, brown tipped ; bill black and yellowish, legs 

 greenish, soles, yellow ; length, 23-28 ; wing, 10-13 ; tail, 4^ ; bill, about 3 ; 

 tarsus, about 3^. 



Hab. Temperate North America, south to Guatemala and the West 

 Indies. 



The nest of the Bittern is placed on the ground ; the eggs, three to five 

 in number, are brownish-drab, measuring about 2-00 by 1-50. 



A common summer resident, found in all suitable places 

 throughout the country, where during the early summer may be 

 heard the pecuhar clunking sound which has gained for the 

 species the not inappropriate name of " Stake Driver," It sel- 

 dom leaves the marsh where it makes its home and finds its 

 favorite tare of fish, frogs and Hzards. It drops readily to a 

 light charge of shot, but when wounded makes a fierce resist- 

 ance, raising the feathers of the head and neck and striking 

 straight at the eye of a dog with its sharp-pointed bill. It 

 arrives as soon as the flags begin to show green, about the end 

 of April, and leaves again for the south toward the end of Sep- 

 tember, or later, according to the weather. 



Subgenus ARDETTA Gray. 



68. BOTAURUS EXILIS (Gmel.), 191. 



Least Bittern. 



No peculiar feathers, but those of the lower neck, long and loose, as in 

 the Bittern ; size very small ; 11-14 inches long ; wing, 4-5 ; tail, 2 or less ; 

 bill, 2 or less ; tarsus, about i§, Male with the slightly crested crown, back 

 and tail, glossy greenish-black ; neck behind, most of the wing-coverts, and 

 outer edges of inner quills, rich chestnut, other wing-coverts, brownish-yel- 

 low ; front and sides of neck and under-parts, brownish-yellow varied with 

 white along the throat line, the sides of the breast with a blackish-brown 

 patch ; bill and lores mostly pale yellow, the culmen blackish ; eyes and soles 

 yellow ; legs greenish-yellow ; female with the black of the back entirely, that 

 of the crown mostly or wholly replaced by rich purplish-chestnut ; the edges 

 of the scapulars forming a brownish-white stripe on either side. 



Hab. Temperate North America, from the British Provinces to the 

 West Indies and Brazil. 



