BIRDS — ARDEIDAE — BOTAURUS LENTIGINOSUS. 



675 



lengthened, and nearly straight ; hinder toe nearly equal to the outer lateral, which is shortest ; 

 the inner reaching beyond the base of the middle claw. Tail very short, of ten soft feathers. 

 Lower part of neck bare above ; this space partly concealed by the feathers of the sides. Head 

 without any crest ; the feathers of the lower throat greatly developed, and covering the jugulum. 



General color brownish yellow, much and finely mottled and variegated with dark brown and 

 brownish red. The top of the head and a small patch at the angle of the mouth > the tail 

 feathers, the ends and edges of the secondary quills, the whole of the inner tertials, are reddish 

 brown, or brownish cinnamon ; the first mentioned duller, the others minutely dotted with dark 

 brown. The wing coverts are brownish yellow, sprinkled with brown ; the back and scapulars, 

 with the dark brown more predominant. The feathers of the upper part of the back are dark 

 cinnamon brown, edged with brownish yellow. The feathers of the throat and under parts, 

 except the anal region and crissum, have a very broad central stripe of finely mottled yellowish 

 and dusky, the latter color accumulated externally ; the edges of the feathers buff. The sides 

 of the neck are somewhat similar, but with an olivaceous tinge. There is a broad black stripe 

 on each side the neck, starting near the ear and running back a short distance, curving upwards. 

 The chin and upper part of the throat are white, with narrow central streaks. The primary 

 quills are plumbeous dusky. 



The bill in life is said to be yellowish green, the culmen brownish black. Feet yellowish 

 green ; claws brown. Iris, reddish yellow. There appears to be but little difference in the 

 sexes and young. 



There is little difference in specimens from different localities. There is a brownish olivaceous 

 tinge in some from the Upper Missouri I have not noticed in others. 



This species has been so frequently shot in Europe, especially in Ireland, as to entitle it to a 

 place in the fauna of the Old World. 



List of specimens. 



