104 HERON. 



way by dashes of brown, and the lower half mixed with the white ; 

 the upper parts crossed with fine waved, rufous, pale yellow, and 

 brown lines; the under parts of the body dirty white; quills and 

 tail black ; legs yellow. 



Inhabits Cayenne ; frequents the banks of rivers, and mostly 

 found single ; when one of these is shot, it makes great defence, 

 darting out the head and neck suddenly, when it can strike the 

 enemy with advantage, aiming at the eyes. One of these birds kept 

 tame, was found of singular use in destroying rats, watching them 

 with all the attention of a domestic cat, and even with better success. 



69.— TIGER BITTERN. 



Ardea tigrina, Ind. Orn. ii. 6S2. Gm. Lin. i. 63S. 



Heron tigre, Ferm. Surin. ii. 151. 



L'Onore, Buf.vn. 431. Pl.enl. 790. 



Tiger Bittern, Gen. Syn. v. 63. Nat. Misc. pi. 620. 



LENGTH two feet six inches. Bill greenish ; irides pale yellow ; 

 top of the head black ; throat and sides of the neck pale rufous, 

 with regular spots of black; neck feathers very long; the rest of 

 the plumage deep rufous, marked with black, like the skin of a 

 tiger; chin white; the under parts much as the upper, but the 

 ground yellowish white ; vent plain white ; tail black, crossed with 

 four narrow bars of white; legs green. 



Inhabits Cayenne, Surinam, and other parts of South America. 

 It does not seem to be a rare species, as I have met with several. It 

 lays seven or eight rounded, whitish eggs, spotted with green, 

 making the nest on the ground. It hides itself in the reeds, like our 

 European Bittern, and frequents the same kind of places. It is a 

 most beautiful species. 



