AMERICAN BITTERN. 
97 
nostrils sub-basal, linear, longitudinal. Lower mandible with the angle 
very long and extremely narrow, the dorsal line ascending and slightly 
convex, the sides flattened and sloping outwards, the edges sharp, direct, 
obscurely serrulate, the tip extremely slender. 
Head small, oblong, much compressed. Neck long. Body slender, much 
compressed. Legs longish, stout; tibia bare for about an Inch, reticulated all 
round, the scales on the hind part larger ; tarsus roundish, with numerous 
large scutella before, reticulated behind with angular scales; toes very long, 
slender, marginate, the fourth and third connected by a short web, not 
reaching the second joint of the former; first toe large, second longer than 
fourth, all covered with numerous large scutella above; claws long, slender, 
tapering, slightly arched, that of hind toe much larger and more arched. 
Eyelids, and a large space before the eye, bare. Plumage loose, soft, and 
blended; hind part of neck in its whole length, and a large space on the fore 
part of the breast, without feathers, but covered, those on the neck being 
directed obliquely backwards. Wings rather short, broad, convex; primaries 
broad, rounded, the first pointed, shorter than the third, which is slightly 
exceeded by the second, the rest slowly graduated ; secondaries very broad, 
rounded, the inner elongated so as slightly to exceed the primaries when 
the wing is closed. Tail very short, rounded, of ten feathers. 
Bill dull yellowish-green, the ridge of the upper mandible brownish-black, 
of a lighter tint toward the base. Bare space before the eye brown; eyelids 
greenish-yellow ; iris reddish-yellow. Feet dull yellowish-green ; claws 
wood-brown. Upper part of the head brownish-grey; a streak of pale buif 
over the eye to behind the ear ; a dusky streak from the posterior angle of 
the eye ; the cheek and an oblique band to the middle of the neck light 
brownish-yellow; beneath which is a dusky brown line from the base of the 
lower mandible, continuous with a gradually enlarged band of black, which 
runs along the side of the neck; the upper parts yellowish-brown, patched, 
mottled, freckled, and barred with dark brown; alula, primary coverts, and 
most of the quills, deep bluish-grey, approaching to black; the tips of all 
these feathers light reddish-brown, dotted with bluish-grey. The fore part 
of the neck white above, yellowish-white beneath, the throat with a middle 
longitudinal line of yellowish-brown spots ; on the rest of the neck each 
feather with a light brown central mark edged with darker, the rest of the 
lower parts dull yellowish-white, most of the feathers marked like those 
on the neck. 
Length to end of tail 27 inches, to end of wings 26|, to carpal joint 17, 
to end of claws 32f ; extent of wings 45; wingfrom flexure 13$; tail 41; 
bill along the ridge 3i, along the edge of lower mandible 4$; breadth of 
mouth 1; depth of bill at base $; bare part of tibia 1; tarsus 3f ; hind toe 
Vol. YI. 14 
