BIT 
liaVe given the Bittern the name of the flar-reach- 
ing bird, or the ftellarisi the Greeks, taking it's 
charafter from it's more conftant habits, have 
given it the title of the oknos, or the lazy. 
Bittern, Small. This fpecies is about four- 
teen inches long, and twenty broad. The bill is 
furrounded at the bafe, and above the eyes, with a 
yellow naked membrane, extending as far as the 
noftrils; the bill itfelf is two inches long, and 
lharp at the point ; the upper mandible is black, 
and the lower yellow. The neck is five inches 
long, and confiderably curvated ; the feathers on 
the top of the head are brown, rifing a little in the 
manner of a tuft ; the upper part of the neck is of 
the fame colour, as well as the back, wings, and 
tail, excepting a few whitifh and tawny fpots ; the 
chin, the lower part of the neckj the breaft, and 
the belly, are of a light brown, mixed with white 
und ruddy colours ; the tail is about an inch long; 
and the legs, which are four inches, are of a dark 
brown before, and yellow behind. 
Bittern, Brazilian. The bill of this fpecies 
is black towards the end, and yellowifli at the bafe; 
the head, and upper part of the neck, are ferrugi- 
nous, ftreaked with black; the feathers on the 
Jov/er part of the neck are long and loofe like thofe 
of the common Bittern, the upper parts of them 
being ruft-coioured, and the lower white fpotted 
with, black. The back, the coverts of the wingsj 
and the fecondaries, are barred with black and ferru- 
ginous ; the breaft and belly are white in the mid- 
dle, and barred with black on the fides ; the tail is 
barred with black and white ; and the legs are of 
a yellowifti brown. This Bird is a native of South 
America; and is efteemed very excellent food, 
efpecially when young. The Brazilians lay wait 
for them among the fedges, where they fhoot 
them in great numbers. 
Bittern, Little Brazilian. This bird is 
fomewhat lefs than a pigeon ; but the neck is feven 
inches long. At the bale of the bill the flcin is of a 
yeilowifh colour; and the upper part of the head 
is of a fteel colour, interfperfed with palifli brown 
feathers. The whole neck, breaft', and belly, are 
covered with white and afli-coloured feathers; but 
the back is partly black, and partly of a dark 
ftecl colour, mixed with fome feathers of a Cereous 
hue. The long feathers of the wings are grcenifti, 
terininating with white fpots ; and the other parts 
above are beautifully variegated with fteel, brov/n, 
yellow, and afti colours. The legs, as far as the 
middle, are naked ; the feet are of a bloflbm colour; 
and the irides are of a bright yellow. 
Bittern, North American. This fpecies is 
ibmewhat lefs than the EngiijQi Bittern ; the wings, 
when clofed, being under twelve inches. The bill is 
ftraight, leffening gradually to a point ; the top of 
the upper m.andible, as well as the point of the bill, 
is black; th_e edges of the upper, and a confider- 
able part of the lower m.andible, are yellow ; and 
between the noftrils and the eyes there is a naked 
yellow fKin. The top of the head is covered with 
longifti, foft, black feathers ; the fides of the head 
with reddifti ; the under part with white feathers; 
and the neck with long flender feathers, partly 
brown and partly white, fpotted with reddifli 
brown. The back, rump, tail, and coverts of 
the wings, are of a bright reddifti brov/n, variegated 
with a mixture of tranfverfe black lines. The 
firft prime quills are wholly black; thofe next 
them are black, with reddifli tips; and the re- 
mainder are redclifn and black, The belly, thighs, 
BI V 
and covert-feathers under the tail, are whiiifti, tki 
belly and thighs being marked with oblong fpots of 
black ; the legs are bare above the knees ; the toes 
are pretty ftrong, the middle claw being ferrated, 
and the hinder one very long; the middle and ex- 
terior toes are joined a little way up by a fkin or 
membrane; and both the legs and feet are covered 
with yellow fcales. This bird is frequently found 
about Hudfon's Bay. 
Bittern, Little Brown. This fpecies is 
about the fize of the lapwing. The v/ings, when 
clofed, meafure fix inches ; and the bill, which is 
formed like all others of the ardea kind, is about 
two inches and a half from the point to the angles 
of die mouth. Between the bjii and the eyes the 
fl<in is bare, as in the common Bittern; the top of 
the head is black; and on each fide of the head 
there is a black line proceeding from the angles of 
the mouth ; the neck is covered with long, loofe, 
reddifli brown feathers, lighter before, and darker 
behind; the back is covered with reddifli brown 
feathers, the middles of which are black; and the 
belly and thighs with light brown feathers of a loole 
texture, having long narrow black fpots down 
their middles. The wings are of a reddifli brown 
colour, lighter than the back ; the lefier coverts 
are fpotted like the back; but the next coverts 
above the quills, as well as the quills neareft the 
back, are brown, with a very flight tinge of black: 
the greater quills, and the tail-feathers, are black; 
the pinion which covers the bottoms of the greater 
quills is alfo black; the covert-feathers in the in- 
fides of the wings, the lower belly, and the coverts 
beneath the tail, are white; the infides of the 
quills, and the under-fidcs of the tail-feathers, are 
cinereous ; the legs and feet are of a greenifli co- 
lour; the exterior toe is conne6led to the middle by 
a membrane at it's bottom ; and the middle claw 
is peftinated at one of it's edges. This bird is a 
native of the country near Aleppo, 
Dr. Shaw, in his travels to Earbary and the Le- 
vant, defcribes another fpecies of Little Bittern, 
called by the Moors boo-onk; that is, long neck. It 
is fomewhat Ids than the lapwing; the neck, the 
breaft, and the belly, are of a light yellow colour j 
the back, and the upper parts of the wings, are of 
a jetty black; the tail is fliort; the feathers of the 
neck are long, and ftreaked with white or light 
yellow; the bill, which is green, meafures about 
three incites ; the legs, which are of the fame co- 
lour, are flioi c and flcnder; and, in walking, or 
fearching for it's food, the bird is capable of throv/- 
ing out it's neck feven or eight inches. It is, how- 
ever, very probable that this fpecies is only a flight 
variation of the former, or perhaps the fame bird of 
a difl'erent age or fex. 
BIVALVE. A clafs of fliells compofed of tv/o 
pieces orparts; which, by means of aproper connec- 
tion by hinges, play on each other, fo as to open, 
fliut, and perform all other funilions ncceffary to 
the oeconomy or modes of life of the animals in- 
cluded in them. 
Bivalves may be arranged into three general parts; 
namely, fuch fliells as have unequal valves, and 
fliut clofe, as the efcallops, oyfters, anomis, &c. 
fuch as have equal valves, and fhut clofe, as the 
cockles, tellens, mufcles, &c. and, laftly, ftich as 
have valves which never fliut clofe, but are alwavs 
open, or gaping, in fome parts, as the balbn 
conques, or bear's paws, the chamae, pinns, folens, 
&c. 
Such are the diftxibutions offered by that very 
accurat 
