joo 
6. 
OBSCURE 
H. 
DescripTion. 
Peace. , 
7. 
BITTERN,. 
HE RAO Ne 
breaft, and each fide the back, towards the tail, below, the plumage 
is very downy, appearing of a filky texture. 
This is ciearly very litle different from the Caledonian fpecies ;. and 
we have even doubts, whether this laft is net a mere variety of the 
common IVight Heron, which has been met with in almoft every part 
of the globe yet known, not excepting our own kingdom, as we have 
known the circumitance. to have happened three times at leafl in our 
rnemory. 
Ardea obfcura, Ind. Orn. ii. p. 679. 16.—It. Pofeg. p. 24; t. il. 
IZE and habit of the Bittern: the bill rather bent, and‘ of a 
blackifh green: on the hind head a dependent creft of one feather: 
forehead, crown, and nape, dull chefnut: back and wing coverts the 
fame, with a gold green glofs: neck behind ferruginous chefnut; 
before, with the breait and belly, chefnut, fpotted longitudinally with 
white and ferruginous: quills duli chefnut, tipped with white: tail. 
chefnut: legs fhort, greenifh. 
Inhabits Sc/avonia. In compliance with our wifh of defcribing 
every thing poffible, we have retained the above as a diftinét fpecies; 
yet'we will not be pofitive that it is really fo, efpecially as the Night 
Heron is fo fubject to vary in the different {tages of life; hence on fu- 
ture inveftigation, perhaps, the Common, Jamaica, Caledonian, with 
the laft defcribed, will be found to conftitute only one fpecies.. 
Ardea Stellaris, Ind. Orn. ii. p. 680. 18.—Ger. Ora, iv. t. 432: 
Bittern, Gen Syn. ve p. 56. 17-—A1d. Sup. p. 234. 
UCH has been faid concerning the fingular kind of noife this 
bird makes at certain times: which we believe to arife from a. 
loofe: membrane, which can be filled with air, and exploded at plea- 
fure. 
