218 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



in whole of Africa, and (not common) parts of India. Casual Faeroes 

 and Atlantio Isles. Represented by distinct subspecies in Africa, 

 Madagascar and Australia. 



Genus BOTAURUS Steph. 



Botaurus Stephens, Shaw's Gen. Zool. xi, 2, p. 592 (1819 — Type by- 

 subsequent determination, of Gray, 1840, B. stellaris). 



Plumage very soft and rich, especially on head and sides of 

 neck very long and broad, plumage beautifully streaked and barred 

 with brown, black and yellowish. Bill much shorter than tarsus, 

 pointed, strong at base, laterally compressed, finely serrated before 

 tip. Claws long and very little curved, middle toe with claw much 

 longer than tarsus, which is scutate in front. Ten rectrices. Sexes 

 alike. One species in several subspecies in Old World, two other 

 species in America. 



BOTAURUS STELLARIS 



282. Botaurus stellaris stellaris (L.)— THE BITTERN. 



Ardea stellaris Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 144 (1758 — Europe- 

 Restricted typical locality : Sweden). 

 Botaurus stellaris (Linnaeus), Yarrell, iv, p. 206 ; Saunders, p. 383. 



Description. — Adult male and female. Winter and summer. — 

 Crown black, feathers on back of crown with narrow and those on 

 nape with wide, tips of yellow-buff, narrowly barred black ; neck 



The Bittern {Botaurus s. stellaris). 



yellow- to tawny-buff, feathers irregularly barred black (feathers 

 of crown and neck rather long and of loose structure) ; mantle, 

 scapulars and back much same but with more black, most of centres 

 of feathers as well as thick irregular bars and spots being black, 

 edges and indentations between black bars yellow-buff to tawny- and 

 rufous-buff; upper tail-coverts yellow-buff irregularly marked brown- 

 black ; line over eye and ear-coverts yellow-buff sometimes faintly 

 barred brown-black ; sides of neck rather more tawny and finely 



