593 
COMMON BITTERN. 
(Botaurus stellaris.) 
Bo. supra teslaceus maculis transversis, suhtus pallidior macuUs 
ohlongis J'uscus, loris viridibus. 
Bittern above testaceous, with transverse spots ; beneath paler, 
with oblong- brown spots 5 the lores greenish. 
Botaurus. Briss. Orn, 5. 444 . 24 . pi. S/.yi 1. 
Ardea stellaris. Linn. Syst. Nat. 1. 230. 21. — Linn. Faun. 
Siiec. 164, — Gmel. Syst. Nat. 1. 635 . — Raii. Syn. p. 100. a. 1 1. 
— Will. 207. pi. 50 . 52 .' — Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 680 . 18 . — 
Leach. Cat. Brit. Mus.p. 33 . 
Le Butor. BuJ~. Ois. 7. 41 1 . 21. Buff. Pi. Enl. 789. 
Grand Butor. Temm. Man. d'Orni. 3/3. 
Bittern. Penn. Brit. Zool. 2. 174. — Will, {ring.) 282 . — Alb. 
Brit. Birds. 1 . pi. 68. — Hayes. Brit. Birds, pi. ip- — Lath. 
Gen. Syn. 5. 56 . I7. — Lath. Sy?i. Sup). 234 . — Lath. Syn. Sup. 
II. 300 . 7 ' — Lexvin. Brit. Birds. 4 . pi. 146 . — Wale. Syn. 2. 
pi. 127. — Pult. Cat. Dors. 14. — Bew. Brit. Birds. 2 . 47. — 
— Mont. Orn. Diet. 1 . — Mont. Orn. Diet. Sup. — Bing. Anim. 
Biog. 2. 296. 
The Common Bittern is in length about two 
feet six inches : its beak is four inches long, of a 
brown horn-colour above ; the lower mandible, 
and base of the upper, greenish : irides yellow •. 
the feathers on the top of the head are black ; those 
on the occiput, neck, and breast, are long and loose : 
the general colour of the plumage is dull pale 
yellow, elegantly variegated with spots and bars of 
black : the greater coverts and quills are ferru- 
ginous, regularly barred with black : the tail is 
v. XI. p. II. S 9 
