289 



BOTAURUS LENTIGINOSIS 



(AMERICAN BITTERN.) 



The Bittern from Hudson s Bay, Edw. Nat. Hist. B. iii. p. 136, pi. 136 (1750). 



Ardea botaurus freti hudsonis, Briss. Orn. v. p. 450 (1760). 



Ardea stellaris, var., Forst. Phil. Trans, lxii. p. 410 (1772). 



Ardea stellaris, var. j3, Gmel. Syst. Nat. i. p. 636 (1788). 



Ardea lentiginosa, Mont. Orn. Diet. Suppl. & pi. (1813). 



Ardea minor, Wils. Am. Orn. viii. p. 35, pi. 65. fig. 3 (1814). 



Ardea mokoho, Vieill. Nouv. Diet. xiv. p. 440 (1817). 



Botaurus lentiginosus (Mont.), Steph. in Shaw's Gen. Zool. xi. p. 596 (1819). 



Ardea hitdsonias, Merr. in Ersch & Grub. Encycl. v. p. 175 (1820). 



Botaurus minor (Wils.), Boie, Isis, 1826, p. 979. 



Butor americana, Swains. Classif. of B. ii. p. 354 (1837). 



Butor lentiginosus (Mont.), Jard. Brit. B. iii. p. 147(1842). 



Botaurus adspersus, Licht. Nomencl. Av. p. 89 (1854). 



Ardea freti-hudsonis, Schlegel, Mus. Pays-Bas, Ardea, p. 49 (1863). 



Botaurus mugitans, Coues, Proc. Ac. Nat. Sc. Phil. 1875, p. 353. 



Figurce notabiles. 



Edwards, I.e.; Gould, B. of Eur. pi. 281 ; id. B. of G. Brit. iv. pi. 27; Audub. B. of Am. 

 pi. 365 ; Wilson, Am. Orn. pi. 65. fig. 3. 



Ad. pileo rufescenti-fusco, nigro-fusco notato : supra rufescenti-fuscus nigro-fusco et ochraceo-cervino varie- 

 gatus et verrniculatus : uropygio et supracaudalibus magis rufescentibus : cauda fusca rufescenti 

 marmorata : remigibus primariis nigro-fuscis, secundariis castaneo terminates nigrieanti marmoratis : 

 mento et gula cervino-albis, centraliter tinea fusca notatis : stria magna nigra utrinque in colli 

 lateribus : gutture et corpore subtus cervinis, plumis centraliter stria magna fusca variegata notatis : 

 abdomine imo et subcaudalibus rufescenti-cervinis : rostro nigro-fusco, subtus et ad basin viridi-flavo : 

 loris nudis viridi-flavis : iride aurantiaca : pedibus griseo virescentibus. 



Adult Male (New Brunswick, 18th April). Crown and nape reddish brown, marked with blackish brown, 

 becoming greyer on the hind neck ; upper parts generally dark reddish brown, variegated and vermi- 

 culated with buffy yellow and blackish brown ; rump and upper tail-coverts more reddish in tinge ; tail 

 warm brown, slightly marbled with reddish ; primaries uniform blackish brown, some slightly tinged 

 with chestnut at the tip, secondaries broadly tipped with chestnut-red, marbled with blackish ; wing- 

 coverts brownish yellow, marbled and vermiculated with blackish ; throat buffy white, with a central 

 brown line ; a broad black line runs from the gape down the sides of the neck : underparts buff, the 

 elongated pectoral feathers with a broad variegated brown centre, forming a broad stripe, these stripes 

 being less distinct on the rest of the underparts ; flanks variegated with dark brown ; under tail-coverts 

 and thighs warm creamy buff; bill above and at the tip brownish black, but greenish yellow at the 



