BIT 
is much valued. The breaft is lai'ge; the buttocks 
are narrow; the neck and tail are very fliortj and 
the liead is difproportionably big. 
Thefe animals have fo quick a fenfe of fmelling, 
that it is very difficult for either men or dogs to 
get near them, except on the leeward fide; and 
they are fo extremely timid, that a whole herd of 
them will fly from a fingle dog : when wounded, 
however, they become very furious, and turn on 
the hunters with determined refolution. The flefh 
of the females is excellent ; and the fl^ins of both 
fexes are peculiarly valuable. 
In the v/eftern parts of New France, on this fide 
the Mifliflippi, the hunting of thefe beafts forms 
a favourite diverfion: the hunters, after ranging 
themfelves in four lines, forming a very large 
fquare, begin to fet fire to the grafs, which at the 
hunting feafon is ufually very dry and long. As 
the fire runs along the lines, they advance clofer 
together; and thcBiibns, who are extremely afraid 
of that element, fpcedily fly from it, and get into 
a clofe body: on which the natives attacic them 
very brifkly, and feldom fuffer any to efcape. 
In Carolina numbers of thefe creatures are 
brought up tame : notwithftanding which, fome of 
them ftill retain their wild difpofition ; for they can- 
not long be confined within any fences, but fre- 
quently efcape, and ravage the fields ; and, where- 
evcr they penetrate, draw the whole tame herd af- 
ter them. 
Linnaeus calls the Bifon a beeve with horns 
turned upwards, a hunch-back, and a veiy long 
mane and beard. The tongue of this animal is 
faid to be as rough as a file; with which if it 
fliould happen to touch a man's cloaths, it fel- 
dom fails to get him in it's power, and to tear him 
to pieces. But the Bifon feems to have a natural 
averfion to red; and accordingly, if it meets with 
a piece of cloth of that colour, it never leaves it 
till it's hue is entirely defaced. 
BITTACUS. A name given by Ctefias, and 
fome others of the Greek writers, to the parrot. It 
feems to be a corruption of pfittacus, for which it 
is indifcriminately ufed. 
BITTERN. A bird of the heron kind, called 
by fome naturalifts the ardea Itellaris; and, by 
others, taurus botaurus, butorius, and ocnus: in 
Englifli, the butter-bump and mii-e-drum. 
This bird is diftinguifhed from all others by it's 
difmal hollow noife; of which it is impoffible to 
convey an adequate idea in words to thofe who 
have never had an opportunity of hearing it: it is 
fomewhat like the interrupted bellowing of a bull, 
but more hollow and loud; and is fometimes heard, 
at the diflance of a miile, as if proceeding from 
fome formidable being refident at the bottom of 
deep waters. The bird, however, which utters 
this terrific found, is not fo large as the heron; the 
bill is alfo weaker, and only four inches long ; the 
upper mandible is a little arched, the edges of the 
lower being jagged; the irides next to the pupil are 
yellow, and above the yellow they incline to hazel ; 
the eyes are fituated extremicly low towards the 
bill ; and the ears are large and open. The crown 
of the head is black, the feathers on the hind-part 
forming a kind of fhort pendent creft ; the plumage 
is of a very pale dull yellow, fpotted and barred with 
black; the greater coverts of the wings, the quill- 
feathers, and the baftard wings, are of a bright fer- 
ruginous colour, regularly marked Avith black bars ; 
the lower beily is of a whitifli yellow ; and the tail 
is very Ihort, confiiling only of ten feathers, of the 
fame colouf as the wing's. The feathers on tfuS 
breaft are very long, and hang loofe; the legs ar<^ 
of a pale green ; the claws are long and ilender, 
the infide of the middle claw being finely ferrated, 
to enable the bird to hold it's prey; and the hind 
claw, which is remarkably long, and is a fuppofed 
prefervative for the teeth, is fometimes fet in fiiver,^ 
and ufed as a tooth-pick. 
The Bittern is a very folitary bird : it's bellow- 
ings are chiefly heard from the beginning of Ipring 
to the end of autumn ; and however dreadful they 
may feem to us, they are probably either the calls 
of courtfhip, or the expreffions of connubial feiici- 
ty. From the loudnefs and Iblemnity of it's note, 
many have been induced to fuppofe that the crea- 
ture makes ufe of external inftruments to produce 
it, and that fo fmall a body is incapable of fuch fo- 
norous exertions. The vulgar are of opinion, that 
it thrufts it's bill into a reed, which ferves as a pipe 
for fweliing the note above it's natural pitch; while 
others imagine that the Bittern immcrges it's head 
^in water, and then produces it's boomings by blow- 
ing with all it's might. But, after all, it is evident 
that the wind-pipe of this creature is fitted to pro- 
duce the founds for which it is remarkable; and that 
it is often heard in fituations where there are neither 
reeds nor water to affift it. It conceals itfeif in 
the fedges by day, and begins it's call in the even- 
ing, booming fix or eight times ; and, after a fiience 
of Ibme minutes, renewing it's ilrains. When it's 
retreats among the fedges are invaded, as well as 
when it dreads the approach of an enemy, it is per- 
fe(ftly filent ; and, while in a ftate of domeilic cap- 
tivity, it remains a mute, forlorn bird, equally in- 
capable of attachment and inftj udion. But though 
it's bellowings are always performed in foiitude, 
it has another kind of fcream, which it generally 
ufes when in the aft of feizing it's prey, and to 
v/hich it is fometimes impelled by fear. 
This biixl, though of the heron kind, is neither 
fo deflruflive nor fo voracious. It is a retired, ti- 
mid animal, fubfifting principally on frogs, infe£bs, 
and vegetables ; and though it greatly refemblo 
the heron in it's form, differs elTcntially from that 
bird in it's manners and appetites. The jieron inha- 
bits the tops of the higheit trees ; the Bittern forms 
it's nefl either in a fedgy margin, or amidft a tuft 
of ruflies. The heron builds it's habitation with, 
flicks ; the fimpler one of the Bittern is compofed 
of fedges, the leaves of v/ater- plants, and diy ruihes» 
The heron feeds it's young for many days : die Bit- 
tern, after three days, leads them abroad in fearchof 
their food. In fliort, the heron is lean and cada- 
verous, and fubfifiis chiefly on animal food; while 
the Bittern is plump and fleihy, and feeds on ve- 
getables when more nutritious aliment cannot be 
found. 
With whatever terror the voice of the Bittera 
infpires the fimple, it's flefii is greatly efteenied 
among the luxurious : for which reafon, it is as ea- 
gerly fought after by the fowler, as fhunned by the 
peafant; and, as it is a heavy-rifing, flov^-winged 
bird, it does not often efcape him. Indeed, itlel- 
dom rifes till almofi: trod upon, and feems to feek 
proteftion rather from conceahnent than filglit. At 
the latter end of autumn, however, towards even- 
ing, it appears to throv/ off it's wonted indolence; 
and is then feen rifing in a fpiral afcent till it gets 
above human uglit ; making at the fame time a ver^ 
fingular noife, altogether difFerent from it's former 
boomings. T hus the fame animal is often known 
to aflfume different habits ; and while the Latins 
have 
