﻿246 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  cious; 
  wings 
  very 
  large 
  and 
  broad; 
  tail 
  short, 
  of 
  10 
  feathers 
  in 
  bitterns, 
  and 
  

   12 
  in 
  the 
  true 
  herons; 
  plumage 
  very 
  loose; 
  powder-down 
  tracts 
  two 
  pairs 
  

   in 
  bitterns, 
  three 
  pairs 
  in 
  herons. 
  There 
  is 
  great 
  seasonal 
  change 
  in 
  plumage 
  

   among 
  the 
  true 
  herons, 
  most 
  of 
  them 
  developing 
  dorsal, 
  pectoral 
  and 
  

   nuchal 
  plumes 
  in 
  the 
  breeding 
  season, 
  the 
  dorsal 
  train 
  reaching 
  a 
  marvelous 
  

   development 
  in 
  the 
  egrets. 
  Some 
  species 
  are 
  dichromatic. 
  The 
  voice 
  

   is 
  rough 
  and 
  croaking. 
  The 
  female 
  is 
  somewhat 
  smaller 
  than 
  the 
  male, 
  

   and 
  there 
  is 
  considerable 
  individual 
  variation 
  in 
  size, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  

   color 
  of 
  the 
  bill 
  and 
  legs. 
  One 
  leg 
  is 
  almost 
  always 
  larger 
  than 
  the 
  other, 
  

   probably 
  from 
  the 
  habit 
  of 
  standing 
  largely 
  on 
  one 
  foot'. 
  Herons 
  nest 
  in 
  

   trees 
  on 
  flat 
  bulky 
  nests 
  constructed 
  of 
  sticks. 
  The 
  eggs 
  are 
  mostly 
  from 
  

   three 
  to 
  seven 
  in 
  number, 
  oval 
  in 
  shape, 
  usually 
  of 
  a 
  pale 
  bluish 
  color. 
  

   Young 
  are 
  born 
  naked 
  and 
  are 
  fed 
  in 
  the 
  nest 
  by 
  their 
  parents 
  like 
  all 
  

   members 
  of 
  the 
  order. 
  Bitterns 
  rarel}^ 
  perch 
  on 
  trees, 
  and 
  build 
  their 
  

   broad 
  nest 
  made 
  of 
  reeds 
  or 
  rushes 
  on 
  or 
  near 
  the 
  ground. 
  The 
  eggs 
  are 
  

   light 
  greenish 
  white 
  or 
  brownish 
  in 
  color. 
  

  

  Botaunis 
  lentiginosus 
  (Montagu) 
  

   American 
  Bittern 
  

  

  Plate 
  23 
  

  

  Ardea 
  lentiginosa 
  Montagu. 
  Orn. 
  Diet. 
  Sup. 
  1813 
  

   Ardea 
  minor 
  DeKay. 
  Zool. 
  N. 
  Y. 
  1844. 
  pt 
  2, 
  p. 
  226, 
  fig. 
  189 
  

   Botaurus 
  lentiginosus 
  A. 
  O. 
  U. 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed. 
  2. 
  1895. 
  No. 
  190 
  

  

  botaurus, 
  new 
  Lat., 
  a 
  bittern; 
  lentigino'sus, 
  Lat., 
  freclded 
  

  

  Description. 
  Upper 
  parts 
  brown, 
  profusely 
  mottled 
  and 
  freckled 
  

   with 
  buffy 
  and 
  ocherous; 
  neck 
  and 
  under 
  parts 
  tawny 
  white 
  or 
  ochery, 
  

   each 
  feather 
  with 
  a 
  brown 
  dark 
  edged 
  stripe; 
  the 
  throat 
  line 
  white 
  with 
  

   brownish 
  streaks; 
  a 
  velvet 
  black 
  streak 
  on 
  each 
  side 
  of 
  neck; 
  crown 
  and 
  tail 
  

   brown 
  ; 
  a 
  buif 
  y 
  stripe 
  over 
  the 
  eye 
  ; 
  quill 
  feathers 
  greenish 
  black, 
  washed 
  with 
  

   glaucous 
  and 
  tipped 
  with 
  brown; 
  bill 
  pale 
  yellowish, 
  brownish 
  black 
  on 
  top 
  

   and 
  tip; 
  legs 
  greenish 
  yellow; 
  iris 
  yellow. 
  

  

  Dimensions. 
  This 
  species 
  varies 
  greatly 
  in 
  dimensions. 
  "Length 
  23- 
  

   34 
  inches; 
  extent 
  32-45; 
  wing 
  9.5-13; 
  bill 
  3; 
  tarsus 
  3.5"; 
  middle 
  toe 
  and 
  

   claw 
  about 
  3.5, 
  the 
  claw 
  1-1.12. 
  The 
  female 
  is 
  the 
  smaller. 
  

  

  Distribution. 
  This 
  bird 
  undoubtedl}^ 
  occurs, 
  and 
  probably 
  breeds, 
  

   in 
  ever}' 
  county 
  in 
  this 
  State. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  fairly 
  common 
  summer 
  resident 
  on 
  

  

  