BOTAURUS MUGITANS : AMERICAN BITTERN. 269 



feathers that succeed. This fact, taken in connection 

 with the date of capture, is certainly suggestive of a not 

 very remote breeding-place, though the bird was perhaps 

 old enough to have flown northward from the Carolinas, 

 its nearest known breeding-ground." Young Herons, 

 we may add, have a way of wandering aimlessly about 

 during the latter part of summer, before they are old 

 enough to have sense enough not to go where there are 

 Nuttall Bulletinians about. 



AMERICAN BITTERN. 



BoTAURUS MUGITANS (Bartr) Coues. 



Chars. Tail of only ten feathers (twelve in all the foregoing 

 Herons). Size medium. Bill shorter than tarsus, which is 

 shorter than middle toe and claw, and broadly scutellate in front. 

 No pecuUar plumes. General plumage of the upper parts 

 singularly freckled with brown, black, tawny, and whitish ; neck 

 and under parts ochrey or tawny whitish, each feather marked 

 with a brown dark-edged stripe, the throat-line white, with brown 

 streaks ; a patch of velvety black on each side of neck above. 

 Iris yellow ; bill on edge blackish, the rest pale yellowish ; legs 

 yellowish-green. Length, 23.00-34.00 ! extent, 32.00-45.00 ! 

 wing, 9.50-13.00 ; bill about 3.00 ; tarsus about 3 50 ; middle toe 

 about the same. 



A common summer resident, usually arriving during 

 the middle or latter part of April, and remaining until 

 November. Being one of the hardiest as well as one of 

 the most erratic of the family Ardeidcz, the Bittern is 

 doubtless to be sometimes seen in New England in 

 winter, though we have not laid hands upon any positive 

 record to that effect. It is a bird of the bog and reedy 



