Order GEALI^E.] [Fax. AEDEID^. 



BOTAUKUS POECILOPTILUS. 



(BLACK-BACKED BITTERN.) 



Ardea poidloptila, Wagl. Syst. Av. Ardea, sp. 28, note (1827). 

 Botaurus melanotus, Gray, in Dieff. Trav. App. p. 196 (1843). 

 Botaurus poiciloptilus, Gray, Gen. of B. iii. p. 557 (1847). 

 Botaurus australis, Gould, B. of Aust. vi. pi. 64 (1848). 

 Botaurus pceciloptila, Bonap. C. R. xl. p. 723 (1855). 

 Botaurus poicilopterus, Gray, Ibis, 1862, p. 236. 

 Ardea pceciloptera, Finsch, J. f. O. 1870, p. 348. 

 Ardea poiceloptera, Hutton, Cat. Birds of N. Z. p. 28 (1871). 



Native name. — Matuku-hurepo. 



Ad. supra nigricanti-brimneus, interscapulii pluruis paucis et scapularibus exterioribus irregularitcr fulvescente 

 transvermiculatis : uropygio imo et supracaudalibus clarius fulvescentibus latius brunneo transnotatis : 

 tectricibus alarum brunnescentibus ubiquc fulvescente ti'ansversim vercniculatis, minimis omnino nigri- 

 canti-bruuneis : remigibus et rectricibus nigricanti-brunneis, sparsim fulvescente irregulariter notatis, 

 illis intiis vix fasciatis : pileo summo et collo laterali saturate brunneis, indistincte fulvo transversim 

 terminatis : supercilio lato cum regione parotica, genis gulaque fulvescentibus : linea lata, ab oculo postico 

 ad collum laterale ducta brunnea : corpore reliquo subtus ochrascenti-fulvo, plumis brunneo irregula- 

 riter notatis vel transfasciatis, interdum quasi late longitudinaliter strigatis, gutture et pectore supe- 

 riore pallide brunneo marmoratis : subcaudalibus fulvis : subalaribus fulvis ubique brunneo irregulariter 

 notatis : rostro saturate brunneo : regione oculari et pedibus pulchre dilute viridibus : iride flava. 



Adult. Head and nape dark brown ; superciliary streak and region of the ears tawny, the former freckled 

 with brown ; back of neck and lower part of back dark purplish brown varied with buff; mantle, 

 scapulars, and secondaries dark brown with purplish reflexions, freckled, and mottled on the edges with 

 tawny yellow ; upper surface of wings pale buff, the longer coverts with broad arrow-head marks 

 along their whole extent, and the shorter ones freckled and mottled with different shades of brown ; 

 primaries purplish brown, with dark shafts, marbled on their inner webs with buff; secondaries darker 

 brown, marbled ou both vanes, but more conspicuously on the inner; tail-feathers dark brown, mar- 

 gined and freckled with buff, especially on the outer ones ; throat, front and sides of the neck, and all the 

 under surface tawny buff, variegated with dark brown ; on the throat the brown markings are very indi- 

 stinct, being limited to a narrow freckled line down the middle ; on the fore neck- each feather has a 

 broad mark of yellowish brown down the centre, with vandyked edges iu some and lateral continuations 

 in others ; on the long neck-plumes which overhang the breast, and on the overlapping fcmorals, these 

 markings assume the character of narrow zig-zag lines and arrow-heads. The broad feathers coverings 

 the upper part of the breast are blackish brown in the centre with tawny-white sides ; but these arc 

 usually concealed by the overhanging plumes of the fore neck ; on the sides of the body there are irre- 



