BIRDS. 
Clafs II.] 
1J 7 
S P E C I E S II. The Bittern. Plate a. i. 
Bittour, bittern, or mire-drum. 
fVil. orn. 282. 
Botaurus. Brijfon av. V. 444. 
Tab. 37. 
Rail Jyn. av. 100. 
Ardea itellaris, Lin. JyJt. \ 44. 
Gefner av. 215. 
^HE bittern is a very retired bird, con¬ 
cealing itfelf in the midft of reeds and 
rufhes in marfliy places. It is with 
great difficulty provoked to flight, and when on 
wing has fo dull and flagging a pace, as to acquire 
among the Greeks the title of o/j& or the lazy. 
It has two kinds of notes; the one croaking, 
when it is difturbed : the other bellowing, which 
it commences in the fpring and ends in autumn. 
Mr. Willoughby fays that in the latter feafon it 
foars into the air with a fpiral afcent to a great 
height, making at the fame time a lingular noife. 
It builds its neft with the leaves of water plants 
on lome dry clump among the reeds, and lays five 
or fix eggs, of a cinereous green color. The 
food of the bittern is chiefly frogs; its flelh has 
much the flavour of the hare; and nothing of 
the filhinefs of that of the heron. The edges of 
the bill is jagged ; the inner fide of the middle 
claw finely ferrated to hold its prey the better ; 
its hind claw is remarkably long, and being a 
fuppofed prefervative for the teeth, is fometimes 
fet in filver and ufed as a tooth pick. Befides 
this common fpecies, Mr. Edwards mentions a 
fmall one of the fize of a lapwing, fliot near 
Shrewfbury. He adds no more than that the 
crown of the head was black : as this anfwers the 
Description of a kind frequent in Switzerland and 
Auftria f, we imagine it to be a ftrayed bird 
from thofe parts. 
* Kramer Elench. arum . Aujiria, 348. 
SPECIES III. 
Wi 1 . orn. 279. 
Raii fyn. av. 99. 
Ardea Candida. Brijfon av. V. 428. 
HIS bird has not fell within our ob- 
fervation $ therefore we mu ft give Mr. 
Willoughby's account of it. The length 
to the end of the feet is fifty-three inches and a 
half, to that of the tail only forty 5 the breadth 
fixty inches 5 the weight forty ounces. 
The bill is yellowifh 5 the naked fkin between 
that and the eyes green ; the edges of the eye¬ 
lids, and the irides are of a pale yellow; the legs 
The great white Heron. 
Ardea alba. Lin. Jyft. 144. 
Gefner av. 213. 
are black ; the inner edge of the middle claw fer- 
rated : the whole plumage is of a fnowy white- 
nefs. This bird is very common in many parts of 
Europe y but we believe very rarely found with 
us, any more than the fmall fpecies of crefted 
white heron mentioned by Leland , under the 
name of Egritte , in one of the bills of fare in the 
magnificent feaft of our anceftors *. 
* Leland’s collettanea vol- 6. L’Aigrette. Brijfon av. V. 431. 
Ff SPECIES 
