298 A M E R I C A N BITTERN.
much difference of size and weight, even in the same sex. Of about
twenty specimens in my possession, scarcely two correspond in the
length of the bills, legs, or wings. The plate before you was engraved
irom a drawing made by my son JOHN WO O D H O U S E .
AMERICAN BITTERN, ARDEA MINOR, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vii. p. 35, pi. 65,
fig. 3.
ARDEA MINOR, Gh. Bonwparte, Synopsis of Birds of United States, p. 307-
AMERICAN BITTERN, NuttaU, Manual, vol. ii. p. 60.
AMERICAN BITTERN, ARDEA LENTIGINOSA, Richa/rds. and Swams. Fauna Bor.-
Amer. vol* ii. p. 374.
Adult Male, Plate CCCXXX VH. . Fig. 1.
Bill longer than the head, moderatjijy stout, straight, compressed,
tapering to the point. Upper mandible with its dorsal, line straight,
towards the end' sightly con vex and decimate, the ridge broad and
rather rounded at the base, gradually narrowed to the middle, then a
little enlarged, and again narrowod to thg'point, the sides bulging, towards
the margin erect, the fdges sharp, towards tile end obscurely,
serrated, the tip narrow, wiflft a distinct notch or sinus on each, side.
Nasal groove oblong, with a long depressed, line in front; nostrils subbasal,
linear, longitudinal!; Lower mandible with the angle very, long
and extremely narrow, the dorsal line ascending and slightly convcx,
the sides flattened and sloping outwards, the.edges sharp, direct,, ©bseuroly
serrulate,,tho tip oxtretxielv slender.
Head, small, oblong, much oompresscd. Neck long. Body slender,
much (-(impressed..- Legs longishi stout; tibia bare for about an inch,
reticulated all round, the. scales on the hind part larger ; tarsus roundish,
withjSimerous largo seut«lla before, reticulated behind with angular
scales,; toss, 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 scutolla above ; daws long, slender, tapering, slightly arched,
that of hind too much larger and more arched.
Eyelids, and a large space before the eye,, bare. Plumage loose, -
s o f t , and Blended; hind part of neck in its whoWength, and a large
space on the fore part of the breast without feathers, but- covered,
A M E R I C A N BITTERN. 2 9 9
Ih® neck being directed obliquely backwards. Wings rather
short, broad, rconvox ;. primaries broad; rounded, the lirst Jointed,
shorter than the third, whiel, is slightly exceeded by the second, the
rest slowly graduated ; secondaries very broad, rounded, the inner
elongated « a s slightly to ^eiceid the primaries when the wing is
etesei. Tail very short, rounded, of ten feathers.
' Bill dull yeftbwiSh-green, t h e ridge of the uppor mandible brownishblack,
of a lighter tint toward the base. Bare spade before the eye
brow,.. ; eyelids greenish-yellow; iris reddishnellow.. feet dull yellowish
green ; claws wood-brown. Upper part of the head brownishgrey
, a streak filpale bnff oyer-tKe behind the ear , i dusky
streak from the posterior angle of the eye ; 'thfe cheek and an obliqu»
band to the middle of the neck liglit brownish-yellow ; beneath which
is a dusky brown lino from the base of the lower mandible, continuous
with a. gradually enlarged band tf black, which runs along the side of
the-'neck; the upper parts yellowish-brown, patched, mottled, freckled,
a n d barred with d i i r k brown; alula, primary coverts, and most of the
quills, deep b l u i s h ^ approaching S> black; the tips of all these
feafherl'light reddish-brown, dotted' m t h bluish-p«^ The fore part
of the neck White abov4 'yellowish-white beneath, the throat with a
middle longitudinal line ar-yellon isli-lmm-n spots; on the rest of the
n e c k each feather with a liglit brown central mark, edged with (larkety
the rest of the lower parts dull yellbwish-whUe, .most of the feathers
marlfiA'lte'W6se"on the neck:' ' '/V ;4
% e n g t t® end of tail 27 inches, to end of wings 26J, to carpal
joint 17, to end of claws 3 2 | ; extent of wings 45 ; wing from flexure
' 19!; tail 4 ' ; bill along the ridge 3f, along the edge of lower mandible
r H ; breadth of mouth 1;. depth of bill at base | ; bare part of tibia l j
tarsus 3f; hind fee l|f
' i t i ; claw 1*; middle toe 3f;; its claw 1 ; outer
tot. 2 | , its claw f ; inner, toe 2 i ,>4 claw Weight 1 lb. 7 oz.
Female, Plate CCCXXXVI I . fig. 2.
The Female resembles the male, but is somewhat smaller with the
(ipfi^f's duller. , -. . • • '
Length to end of tail 20J inches, to end of wings 25J, to end of
claws 27f ; extent of wings 42i ; wing from flexure 12i. Weight 1 lb.
3 ojz