. The popular natural history . Zoology. BITTERN.—(Botaurus siellaris.) voice of the Bittern varies with the season of the year, harsh cry uttered on rising, but in the breeding season the bird utters a loud boom- ing cry that can be heard at a great distance. The general colour of this fine bird is rich brownish buff covered with irregular streaks and mottlings of black, dark brown, grey and cliestnut. The top of the head is black with a gloss of bronze, the cheeks are buff, aiid the chin white tinged with buff. Down the front of the neck the feathers are marked with bold lon- gitudinal dashe
. The popular natural history . Zoology. BITTERN.—(Botaurus siellaris.) voice of the Bittern varies with the season of the year, harsh cry uttered on rising, but in the breeding season the bird utters a loud boom- ing cry that can be heard at a great distance. The general colour of this fine bird is rich brownish buff covered with irregular streaks and mottlings of black, dark brown, grey and cliestnut. The top of the head is black with a gloss of bronze, the cheeks are buff, aiid the chin white tinged with buff. Down the front of the neck the feathers are marked with bold lon- gitudinal dashes of black- ish and reddish brown, and the feathers of the breast are dark brown broadly edged with buff. The under surface of the body is buff streaked with brown, the beak is greenish yellow, and the-feet and legs are green. In total length the Bittern measures about thirty inches. The well-known Spoonbill affords an instance of the endless variety of forms assumed by the beak. It has a very wide range of country, being spread over the greater part of Europe and Asia, and inhabiting a por- tion of Africa. This species is one of the Waders, frequenting the waters, and obtaining a subsistence from the tish, reptiles, and smaller aqnatic inhabitants, which it captures in the broad spoon- like extremity of its beak. It is also fond of frequenting the sea-shore, where it finds a bountiful supply of food along the edge of the waves and in the little pools that are left by the retiring waters, where shrimps, crabs, sand-hoppers, and similar animals are crowded closely together as the water sinks through the sand. The bird also eats some vegetable substances, such as the roots of aquatic herbage, and when in confinement will feed upon almost any kind of animal or vege- table matter, providing it be soft and moist. The beak of an adult Spoon- bill is about eight inches in length, very mucJi flattened, and is channelled and grooved at the base. In some countries the beak is taken fro
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, booksubjectzoology, bookyear1884
