AMERICAN BITTERN. 97 



nostrils sub-basal, linear, longitudinal. Lower mandible with the angle very- 

 long and extremely narrow, the dorsal line ascending and slightly convex, 

 the sides flattened and sloping outwards, the edges sharp, direct, obscurely 

 serrulate, the tip extremely slender. 



Head small, oblong, much compressed. Neck long. Body slender, much 

 compressed. Legs longish, stout; tibia bare for about an inch, reticulated all 

 round, the scales on the hind part larger; tarsus roundish, with numerous 

 large scutella before, reticulated behind with angular scales; toes very long, 

 slender, marginate, the fourth and third connected by a short web, not 

 reaching the second joint of the former; first toe large, second longer than 

 fourth, all covered with numerous large scutella above; claws long, slender, 

 tapering, slightly arched, that of hind toe much larger and more arched. 



Eyelids, and a large space before the eye, bare. Plumage loose, soft, and 

 blended; hind part of neck in its whole length, and a large space on the fore 

 part of the breast, without feathers, but covered, those on the neck being di- 

 rected obliquely backwards. Wings rather short, broad, convex; primaries 

 broad, rounded, the first pointed, shorter than the third, which is slightly 

 exceeded by the second, the rest slowly graduated; secondaries very broad, 

 rounded, the inner elongated so as slightly to exceed the primaries when the 

 wing is closed. Tail very short, rounded, of ten feathers. 



Bill dull yellowish-green, the ridge of the upper mandible brownish-black, 

 of a lighter tint toward the base. Bare space before the eye brown; eyelids 

 greenish-yellow; iris reddish-yellow. Feet dull yellowish-green; claws 

 wood-brown. Upper part of the head brownish-grey; a streak of pale buif 

 over the eye to behind the ear; a dusky streak from the posterior angle of 

 the eye; the cheek and an oblique band to the middle .of the neck light 

 brownish-yellow; beneath which is a dusky brown line from the base of the 

 lower mandible, continuous with a gradually enlarged band of black, which 

 runs along the side of the neck; the upper parts yellowish-brown, patched, 

 mottled, freckled, and barred with dark brown; alula, primary coverts, and 

 most of the quills, deep bluish-grey, approaching to black; the tips of all 

 these feathers light reddish-brown, dotted with bluish-grey. The fore part 

 of the neck white above, yellowish-white beneath, the throat with a middle 

 longitudinal line of yellowish-brown spots; on the rest of the neck each 

 feather with a light brown central mark edged with darker, the rest of the 

 lower parts dull yellowish-white, most of the feathers marked like those on 

 the neck. 



Length to end of tail 27 inches, to end of wings 26j, to carpal joint 17, 

 to end of claws 32§; extent of wings 45; wing from flexure 13i; tail 4|; 

 bill along the ridge 3|, along the edge of lower mandible 4|; breadth of 

 mouth 1; depth of bill at base f; bare part of tibia 1; tarsus 3f; hind toe If, 



Vol. VI. 14 



