592 



BOTAURUS. BITTERN. 



Generic Character. 



J?05^rwmcapitelongius vel ca- 

 pitis longitudine, validum, 

 altius quam latum,lateratim 

 vald^ compressum; man- 

 dibula superiore incurva. 



Nares laterales in sulco sitae, 

 membrana semiclausae. 



Orbitce nudae. 



Collum brevius, crassum, an- 

 trorsum pennis elongatis 

 vestitum, postice lanugine 

 tectum. 



Pedes graciles, tetradactyli ; 

 digiti exteriores basi mem- 

 brana connexi ; unguis me- 

 dius margine interno dila- 

 tatus, pectinatus. 



BoTAURUs. Briss, 

 Ardea. Linn., Gmel. 



Beak as long, or longer than* 

 the head, strong, higher 

 than broad, greatly com- 

 pressed laterally, the upper 

 mandible curved. 



Nostrils lateral, placed in a 

 furrow, and partly closed 

 by a membrane. 



Orbits naked. 



Neck short, thick; in front 

 clothed with elongated fea- 

 thers, behind covered with 

 down. 



Legs slender, four-toed ; the 

 outer toes connected by a 

 membrane at the base ; the 

 middle claw with its inner 

 edge dilated and pectinated. 



T_ HE Bitterns are distinguished from the Herons 

 by the superior thickness of the neck, which in 

 these is very amply clothed with downy elongated 

 feathers, which the bird has the faculty of elevating 

 at pleasure : their plumage is generally either 

 spotted or striped : they resemble the Herons in 

 their principal habits, residing in marshy situations,, 

 and feeding upon aquatic animals. 



