THE BITTERN. 219 



barred black ; from gape a moustachial stripe brown-black, 

 feathers tipped tawny-buff with black bars ; chin and throat pale 

 buff, feathers down centre with long stripes of variegated rufous- 

 brown (feathers of lower -throat much elongated) ; rest of under- 

 pays pale yellow-buff with broad black stripes which on sides of 

 belly are usually more rufous-brown and on centre of belly and under 

 tail-coverts fewer and fine ; buff of flanks and axillaries with rather 

 more rufous tinge and barred dark brown ; under wing-coverts 

 lightly and irregularly marked dark brown ; tail-feathers rufous- 

 burT heavily marked in centre and vermiculated on edges with black ; 

 wing-feathers pale rufous, tipped, irregularly but broadly barred, 

 spotted and vermiculated with black, inner secondaries with outer 

 edges yellow-buff ; primary-coverts mostly black with irregular 

 rufous bars ; rest of wing-coverts much as upper -parts but with 

 rather less black and more burl. This plumage is acquired by 

 complete moult Aug.-Jan. 



Nestling. — Down long with silky tips, rather scanty on upper- 

 parts and very scanty on under-parts ; lores, round eyes, back of 

 neck and sides of body bare. Upper-parts varying light chestnut- 

 red to duller reddish-chocolate, chin and throat whitish to whitish- 

 buff, rest of under-parts rufous-buff. Down is entirely composed 

 of pre-pennse. 



Juvenile. — Very much like adult but moustachial stripe less 

 well marked, feathers being usually not black but finely barred 

 rufous and black-brown, rufous -brown stripes on chin and throat 

 less well marked and those on breast browner, not so black, and 

 finer, buff of whole plumage paler especially on under-parts and 

 wing-coverts. 



First winter. — Like adult and not to be distinguished with 

 certainty, but moustachial stripe not quite so prominent and wing- 

 coverts paler. The juvenile body-plumage is moulted July to Jan. 

 but apparently not wing-coverts, wing- or tail-feathers. 



Measurements and structure. — $ wing 320-350 mm., tail 95- 

 115, tarsus 90-100, bill from feathers 69-75 (12 measured). $ wing 

 300-350, bill 65-75. Primaries : 1st, 2nd and 3rd about equal and 

 longest, 4th sometimes as long but usually 2-10 mm. shorter, 5th 

 10-25 shorter, 6th 25-45 shorter, 7th 40-60 shorter ; webs not 

 emarginated but tips of outer feathers attenuated. Tail square, 

 10 soft feathers, tips rounded. Under tail-coverts about as long as 

 tail-feathers. Back of neck bare of feathers for its whole length 

 but hidden by feathers of sides of neck. Not more than a quarter 

 of tibia bare. Rest of structure as in Common Heron. 



Soft parts. — Bill greenish-yellow, ridge of upper mandible brown 

 at base, black-brown at tip ; lores and round eyes green to " livid 

 blue " ; legs and feet pale green, yellowish at tarsal joint and back 

 of tarsus, soles yellow ; iris yellow. (Nestling, bill, legs and feet 

 blue-green. E. L. Turner.) 



Characters and allied forms. — B. s. capensis (S. Africa) is con- 



