6(X) 
TIGER BITTERN. 
(Botaurus tigrinus. ) 
Bo. rvfas siihtus albidxis mnculis nifrris difformibiis notatis, vertice 
caudaqiic nigris, rectricibus Jasciis qnatuqr nlhis. 
Kufous Bittern, beneath white, marked with irregular black 
spots; the crown and tail black; the latter with four white 
fasciae. 
Ardea tigrina. Gmel. Sust. Nat. 1. 638. — Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 
682. 24. 
L’Onore. Ois. 7 . 431. — Ph Enl. 7gO. 
Tiger Bittern. Lath. Gen. Syn. 5. 63. 24. 
This highly interesting species is greatly allied 
to the Brasilian Bittern : it is about two feet six 
inches in length : its beak is greenish : the irides 
are of a yellow tinge : the top of the head is black : 
the general colour of the plumage is deep rufous, 
varied with undulated zigzag lines, after the manner 
of the skin of the tiger ; the throat and sides of the 
neck are paler, spotted irregularly with black : 
the chin is white : the under parts of the body are 
yellowish white, varied as the back : the vent is 
white : the tail is black, with four narrow white 
stripes : the legs are green. 
This is a most beautiful bird; its manners greatly 
resemble those of the Common Bittern, frequenting 
the same situations, making its nest on the ground, 
and laying seven or eight whitish eggs, spotted 
with green. It is an inhabitant of several parts of 
South America, especially Cayenne and Surinam. 
