





The latter species extends over the whole of North and Central America, and, according 

 to Schomburgk, is found in the marshes of British Guiana, in company with the former. 

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

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

 On the other 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. lentiginosus, it is not difficult to point out many 

 obvious differences. The under-plumage 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 

 B. lentiginosus border each side of the neck. Above the two allies are very different, the whole 

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

 are entirely wanting in Botaurus lentiginosus and are replaced on the scapularies, outer margins 

 of 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 length. In a skin of B. lentiginosus the corresponding dimensions are 1*5 in. and 1*1 in. 

 The tarsi of the two species hardly differ in length. 



The Bar-winged Bittern is rare in collections. There is no specimen of it in the British 

 Museum. Our figure is taken from a fine skin belonging to Mr. Alexander Fry, to whom 

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

 Bio de Janeiro, in the vicinity of that city. The bird is represented at half its natural size. 



Mat, 1869. 



[182] 



