<hriAv^s>u .1 



This species extends over tlie whole of North and Central America, and, according to 

 Schomburgk, Is found In the marshes of British Guiana, in company with the protiont bird *' 

 It has not, however, as far as we are aware, been yet recorded as occurring in any more southem U J 



locality, and In southern Brazil appears to give way entirely to the bird which we now figure. 

 On the othfir hand, the present species seems to advance as far northwards as Nicaragua, for, 

 though Mr. Lawrence expresses some doubt as to his identification of Mr. Holland's bird, we 

 do not think there Is any other species to which It can be referred. 



Upon comparing B. ■pinnatus with B. ledtiginosus^ It is not difficult to point out many 



obvious diflerences. The imder-phimage of the two birds is much alike, except that In the 



former the throat is pure white, and wants the two conspicuous black stripes which In 



70 B. leiJLtiginosus border each side of the neck. Above, the species are very different, the whole 



/ upper plumage In B. pinnatus being conspicuously crossed by numerous transverse bars, which 



7 are entirely wanting In Botaurus leutiginosusJ swdiAe^X&ce^ on the scapulariesl outer margins of ct^cey I 

 secondaries and wing-coverts with dense freckling. It is this difference in the wing-markings, ^ ' 



we suppose, which led Lichtenstein to call the present bird pinnatus. Another conspicuous 

 character of this Bittern is the length of the hind-toe and great size of the claw. In the 

 specimen now before us, the hind-toe is two Inches, and its claw nearly one-Inch-and-a-half!' 

 In a skin of B. hdtigrnosus J the corresponding dimensions are 1'5 in. and I'l in. The tarsi 

 of the two species hardly dlff"er In length. 

 ' The Iftar-winged Bittern Is rare in collections. There is no specimen of it In the British 



Museum. Our figure Is taken from a fine a poolmon belonging to Mr. Alexander Fry, to whom Jxi/uV 



we owe our best thanks for the loan of It. It was obtained by him during his residence at / 



EIo de Janeiro, in the vicinity of that city. 



Mat, 1S69. 



[ 182 ] 



