( * 3 6 ) 
The Bittern from Hudfon’s-Bay. 
O N comparing this Bird with a Bittern taken near London , I found it fomething 
lefs : The Wing when clofed in this was under twelve Inches ; in the Engli/h 
Bird it was full fourteen. In the American Bird, the Bill from the Point to the 
Angles of the Mouth was a little under four Inches ; the Leg from the Knee to the 
Foot three Inches and a half 5 the Length of the middle Toe to the End of the Claw 
was equal to the Length of the Leg. In the European Bird thefe Meafures were all 
fomething more. It is very much of the Colour and Make of our Bittern, and hardly 
to be known from it but by Comparifon. 
The Bill is ftraight, pretty thick toward the Head, leflening gradually to a Point ; 
the Top of the upper Mandible, and the Point of the Bill are Black; the Edges of 
the Upper, and two Parts in three of the lower Mandible, next the Head, are Yel- 
low; the Noflrils are placed in Channels on the Sides of the upper Mandible of the 
Bill, which is jagged or pe&inated on its Edges near the Point ; the Eye is placed 
above the Angle of the Mouth, which extends backward beyond it. Between the 
Noftril and Eye is a naked yellow Skin ; the Top of the Head is cover'd with longifh, 
foft, black Feathers; the Sides of the Head with Reddifh ; the under Part or Throat 
with white Feathers ; the Neck is cover'd with long flender Feathers, the Hinder- 
part Brown, the Fore-part White, fpotted with reddifh-brown Spots, edged with 
Black on their Sides, tending downward ; the Back, Rump, Tail, and Coverts of 
the Wings are of a bright-reddifh Brown, confufedly variegated with a Mixture of 
tranfverfe black Lines. The firft five or fix of the prime Quills are wholly Black ; 
thofe next them are Black with reddifh Tips ; the Remainder of the Quills next 
the Back are Reddifir and Black like the Feathers on the Back ; the Infides of the 
Quills are Afii-Colour ; the Coverts within Side of the Wings are of a whitifh Yel- 
low, with faint tranfverfe Lines of Black. The Belly, Thighs, and Covert-Feathers, 
under the Tail are whitifh ; the Belly and Thighs are fpotted with longifh Spots, 
tending downward, of a red Brown, border’d round and fpotted in their inner Parts 
with Black; the Legs are bare a little Way above the Knees; the Toes pretty long 
in Proportion to the Legs; the middle Claw is toothed, the hinder Claw very 
long, the middle and outer Toe are joined a little Way by a Skin. Both Legs and 
Feet are cover’d with Scales of a yellow Colour. 
This Bird was brought from Hudfon’s-Bay by Mr. Ifljaniy and I take it to be a 
Non-defcript Species. I have ftridtly compar’dit with the common Bittern ; and the. 
Curious who would compare this Defcription with that of our common Bittern mav 
fee it in Willughbfs Ornithology, P. 283, . 
Tie 
