Bittern
the English name for the birds of the genus botaurus, and especially for the common one, botaurus stel- Laris. The bitterns are distinguished from the herons proper, besides other characteristics, by having the feathers of the neck loose and divided, which makes it appear thicker than in reality it is. They are usually spotted or BITTER NUT striped. The species are widely distributed, the best known being botaurus lentigonosus, B. stellaris, and B. minutus, inhabiting the temperate portions of both hemispheres. B. stellaris is in some localities named the "mire drum" or the "bull of the bog," etc., in allusion to its AVC " BITTERN bellowing or drumming noise about February or March, during the breeding season. It is about 2½ feet long. The general color of its plumage is dull, pale yellow, variegated with spots and bars of black. The feathers of the head are black, shot with green; the bill and legs are pale green; the middle claw is serrated on the inner edge. It is nocturnal. It frequents wooded swamps and reedy marshes. B. minutus is much smaller.
B. lentigonosus is common in this country.