100 HERON. 



62.— AMERICAN BITTERN. 



Botaurus Freti Hudsonis, Ind. Orn. ii. 680. Bris. v. 449. Id. 8vo. ii. 32S. 

 Le Butor de la Baye d'Hudson, Buf. vii. 430. 

 Marsh Bittern, or Indian Hen, Bartr. Trav. 291. 



Hudson's Bay Bittern, Edio. pi. 136. Arct. Zool. ii. No. 357. Id. Sup. p. 67. Phil. 

 Trans, lxii. p. 410. Gen. Syn. v. 58. 19. A. 



THIS is smaller than the Common Bittern, and two feet three 

 inches in length ; it is like it in all respects, but the ground colour 

 darker, more inclined to brown, and the bill longer in proportion 

 than in our species. 



Inhabits Hudson's Bay, appears at Severn River the latter end 

 of May ; lives chiefly among the swamps and willows, where it 

 makes the nest, and lays four eggs at a time, of a cinereous green ; 

 the nest composed of water plants, placed on some dry spot, among 

 the long grass : the young are at first black ; it is called by the 

 natives Mokohosue ; is said to be delicate eating ; it for the most 

 part retires in October. Is found as far at least as Georgia, where it 

 is called the Brown Bittern ; chiefly seen about ponds, in the wet 

 savannahs, in the pine woods ; is a shy bird, and not common : the 

 young are speckled like a fawn, and are much less shy than the old 

 ones. Some esteem this as a Variety of the Common one ; but it 

 differs, in not bellowing like the European Species. Mr. Abbot 

 observes, that this bird has a thin skin at the inner corner of the 

 eyelids, which it can pass over the eye at pleasure, but this we 

 believe is not singular; the White Heron, and others possess the same. 



In the American Ornithology it is said to have twelve feathers 

 in the tail, and that in the Common Species there are only ten. But 

 we believe this is not strictly true, as in both sorts it consists of the 

 higher number. 



