Oedee HEEODIOI^ES.] 
[Fam. AEDEIDjE. 
BOTAUETIS P(ECILOPTILUS. 
(BLACK-BACKED BITTERN.) 
Ardea poiciloptila, Wagl. Syst. Av. Ardea, sp. 28, note (1827). 
Botaurus melanotus, Gray, in Dieflf. Ti'av., App. p. 196 (1843). 
Botaurus poiciloptilus. Gray, Gen. of B. iii. p. 557 (1847). 
Botaurus australis, Gould, B. of Austr. vi. pi. 64 (1848). 
Botaurus pceciloptila, Bonap. C. K. xl. p. 723 (1855). 
Botaurus poicilopterus, Gray, Ibis, 1862, p. 236. 
Ardea pcecUoptera, Finsch, J. f. O. 1870, p. 348. 
Ardea poiceloptera, Hutton, Cat. Birds of N. Z. p. 28 (1871). 
Native name. — Matuku-hurepo. 
Ad. supra nigricauti-brunneus, interscapulii plumis paucis et scapularibus exterioribus irregulariter fulvescente 
transvermiculatis : uropygio imo et supracaudalibus clarius fulvescentibus latius brunneo transnotatis : 
tectricibus alarum bruunescentibus ubique fulvescente transversim vermiculatis, minimis omninb nigricanti- 
brunneis : remigibus et rectricibus nigricanti-brunneis, sparsim fulvescente irregulariter notatis, illis intbs 
vix fasciatis : pileo sumrao et collo lateral! saturate bruuneis, indistiucte fulvo transversim termmatis : 
supercilio lato cum regione parotica, geuis guiaque fulvescentibus : linea lata ab oculo postico ad colluni 
laterale ductli brunneb ; corpore reliquo subtbs ocbrascenti-fulvo, plumis brunneo irregulariter iiotatis vel 
transfasciatis, intcrdum quasi late lougitudinaliter strigatis, gutture et pectore superiore pallidfe brunneo 
marmoratis ; subcaudalibus fulvis ; subalaril)us fulvis ubique brunneo irregulariter notatis : rostro saturate 
brunneo : regione ocular! et pcdibus pulchre dilutb viridibus ; iride flavb. 
Adult. Head and nape dark brown; superciliary streak and region of the ears tawny, the former freckled with 
brown ; back of neck and lower part of back dark purplish brown varied with buff ; mantle, scapulars, and 
secondaries dai'k brown with purplish reflexions, freckled, and mottled on the edges with tawny yellow ; 
upper surface of wings pale buff, the longer coverts with broad arrow-head marks along their whole extent, 
and the shorter ones freckled and mottled with different shades of brown ; primaries purplish brown, with 
dark shafts, marbled on their inner webs with buff ; secondaries darker brown, marbled on both vanes, but 
more conspicuously on the inner ; tail-feathers dark brown, margined and freckled with buff, especially on 
the outer ones ; throat, front and sides of the neck, and all the under surface tawny buff, variegated with 
dark brown ; on the throat the brown markings are very indistinct, being limited to a narrow freckled line 
down the middle ; on the fore neck each feather has a broad mark of yellowish brown down the centre, with 
vandyked edges in some and lateral continuations in others ; on the long neck-plumes which overhang the 
breast, and on the overlapping femorals, these markings assume the character of narrow zigzag lines and 
arrow-heads. The broad feathers covering the upper part of the breast are blackish brown in the centre 
with tawny-white sides ; but these are usually concealed by the overhanging plumes of the fore neck ; on 
the sides of the body there are irregular longitudinal streaks of dark brown ; abdomen, inner sides of the 
tibia and under tail-coverts yellowish buff without any markings ; outer sides of the tibia tawny variegated 
with brown; lining of wings and axillary plumes pale buff, barred and mottled with purplish brown. Irides 
yellow ; bill dark brown, whitish on the sides and towards the base of lower mandible ; eyelids, naked loral 
membrane, legs, and feet beautiful pale green ; the claws dark brown, with liorn-colourcd tips. Total 
length 30 inches; extent of wings 48 ; wing, from flexure, 14’5; tail 5 ; bill, along the ridge /5, alon^ 
the edge of lower mandible 4; bare tibia 1 ; tarsus 4 ; middle toe and claw^ 5‘2o ; hind toe and claw 3 75. 
