16.
CAYENNE
NIGHT H.
D e s c r i p t io n ,
P l a c e .
' 7-
•1-BITTERN.
D e sc r ip t ion.
Le Bihoreau de Cayenne, Buf. Oif. vii. p. 439,— Pl. Enl. 899.
is as big as the European fpecies, but more flender, and
the legs longer : length twenty-one inches. The bill black :
the lore pale green: the crown of the head white ; and a ftreak of
white from the noftrils pafies beneath the eye, towards the hind
head ; the reft of the head is black, which ends in a point on the
back part of the neck : from the back part of the head fprings
a creft, compofed of fix long feathers of unequal lengths j half of
them white, the reft black: the general colour of the reft of the
plumage a blueilh afh-colour, but darkeft on the back and wings,
which are marked with a blackilh ftreak down the middle of
each lhaft: the quills are black: it is high mounted on its legs j
and the thighs are bare a great way up: the colour of the bare
part and legs is yellowilh.
This is found at Cayenne.
Ardea ftellaris, Lin. Syfi. i. p. 239. 21.— Scop. Ann. i. p. 125.— Brutt. N°
155 .-—Muller, p. 22.— Kram. El. pi. 148 ——Frifcb. pi. 205.— Georgi
Rei/e, p. 171.
Le Butor, Brif. Orn. v. p. 444. 24. pi. 37. fig. 1.— Buf. Oif. vii. p. 41 ii
pi. 21.— PI. Enl. 789.
Bittour, or Bittern, Rati Syn. p. 100. A. 11.-—Will. Orn. p. 282. pi. 50.
52.— Albint i. pi. 68.— Br. Zool. ii. N° 174.— Arft. Z00L N° 357.
Br. Muf. Lev. Mu/.
n p H i S is an elegant fpecies, and is fomewhat lefs than the Heron
: length two feet fix inches. The bill brown, beneath
inclining to green: irides yellow: the head feathers are long;
and
and thofe of the neck loofe and waving : the crown of the head
black; the lower jaw on each fide dufky: the plumage in general
is beautifully variegated; the ground a ferruginous yellow,
paleft beneath, marked with numerous bars, ftreaks, and zigzag
lines of black: the legs are pale green; claws long and flender;
and the inner edge on the middle claw ferrated.
1 The female is lefs, darker coloured, and the feathers on the
head and neck lefs flowing than in the male.
This is a common bird in our iflands, and we believe in moft
of the temperate parts of the continent: in fome of the colder
migratory*; with us it remains the whole year. Frequents
marihy places, and efpecially where reeds grow, among which it
makes the neft, in April, which is chiefly compofed of a bed of
rulhes, &c. The female lays four or five eggs, of a pale greenifli
afh-colour; the young are hatched in twenty-five days. It is an
indolent bird, ftirring very little in the day, unlefs difturbed;
though, if once roufed, is not difficult to fhoot, as it flies hea-
vjly. In the evening, after fun-fet, is feen to foar aloft in a fpiral
afcent, till quite out of fight, and this chiefly in autumn, making
a Angular kind of noife : it has alfo another noife, like that of a
fallowing Bull, beginning in February, and ceafing after breedingtime
; but this is done while on the ground. If attacked by
dogs or men, defends itfelf well; and is faid to ftrike at the
eyes of the enemy. The food is frogs, mice, and other reptiles,
which it fwallows whole, as well as fifh; as I well remember to
have found two middle-fized trouts in the ftomach of one, perfectly
whole. It is reckoned pretty good eating.
For inftance Sweden.—Amcen. Acad. iv. p. 588.