600 



TIGER BITTERN. 



(Botaurus tigrinus. ) 



Bo. rufus suhtus albidus maculis nigris difformibus notatis, vertice 

 caudaque nigris, rectricibusjasciis quatuor alhis. 



Rufous Bittern, beneath white, marked with irregular black 

 spots ; the crown and tail black 3 the latter with four white 

 fascise. 



Ardea tigrina. GmeL Syst. Nat. 1. 638.— Lath, Ind. Orw. 2. 

 (582. 24. 



L'Onore. Btif, Ois. 7. 43 1 .—Biif. PI. Enl 790. 

 Tiger Bittern. Lath, Gen. Syn. 5. 63. 24. 



This highly interesting species is greatly allied 

 to the Brasilian Bittern : it is about two feet six 

 inches in length : its beak is greenish : the irides 

 are of a yellow tinge : the top of the head is black : 

 the general colour of the plumage is deep rufous, 

 varied with undulated zigzag lines, after the manner 

 of the skin of the tiger ; the throat and sides of the 

 neck are paler, spotted irregularly with black : 

 the chin is white : the under parts of the body are 

 yellowish white, varied as the back : the vent is 

 white : the tail is black, with four narrow white 

 stripes : the legs are green. 



This is a most beautiful bird; its manners greatly 

 resemble those of the Common Bittern, frequenting 

 the same situations, making its nest on the ground, 

 and laying seven or eight whitish eggs, spotted 

 with green. It is an inhabitant of several parts of 

 South America, especially Cayenne and Surinam. 



