ARDETTA. 181 
ARDETTA. 
Ardetta, Gray, List Gen. Birds, 1842, App. p.13; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxvi. p. 221 (1898). 
This genus is nearly cosmopolitan in its distribution, being found over the entire 
temperate and tropical portions of the globe. It belongs to the section of the true 
Bitterns by reason of its ten tail-feathers, and in style of plumage seems to form an 
intermediate link between the Bitterns (Botaurus) and the Old World Egrets (Ardeola). 
The bill is serrated, and the tarsus somewhat short, and about equal in length to the 
middle toe and claw. The hinder part of the neck is bare or only scantily clothed with 
downy plumes, and it is not concealed by a large frill, as is the case with many of the 
Bitterns. The tibio-tarsus is feathered down to the tarsal joint. There is considerable 
difference in the colour of the sexes of all the species of Ardetta, excepting in 
A. involucris of South America, in which the sexes are alike. 
Eight species of this genus are known, of which one is found within our limits. 
“1. Ardetta exilis. 
Ardea exilis, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 645°; Herrera, La Nat. (2) i. pp. 185°, 327°. 
Ardetta exilis, Gray, List Grallz Brit. Mus. p. 38‘; Lawr. Ann. Lyc. N. Y. vii. p. 12°; Mem. 
Bost. Soc. N. H. ii. p. 310°; Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. no. 4, p. 49"; Salv. Ibis, 1866, p. 196°; 
Cat. Strick]. Coll. p. 519°; Sumichr. La Nat. v. p. 233"; Jouy, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus, xvi. 
p. 788"; A. O. U. Check-l. N. Amer. Birds, 2nd ed. p. 70 ”; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. 
Xxvi. p. 231. 
Botaurus ewvilis, Ferrari-Perez, Pr. U. 8. Nat. Mus. ix. p. 170“; Stone, Pr. Acad. Philad. 1890, 
p. 217”. 
Supra nigra, viridi nitens; cauda quoque nigra; tectricibus alarum pallide ochraceis, minimis marginalibus 
castaneis, majoribus cinnamomeis; remigibus cinerascenti-brunneis, clinnamomeo terminatis ; secundariis 
intimis castaneis, intus cineraceis ; pileo vix cristato viridi-nigro; facie laterali et colli lateribus saturate 
ochraceis, his utrinque late castaneis; linea superciliari et fascia parva ad basin mandibula castaneis ; 
gutture medio et corpore subtus cinnamomeo-fulvis, illo vix rufescente, lateraliter albido; tibiis 
ochrascenti-rufis; pectoris lateribus nigris, plumis ochraceo marginatis ; subalaribus albidis ; remigibus 
infra pallide schistaceis: rostro olivascenti-brunneo, maxille tomiis et mandibula pallide flavis; plaga 
lorali nuda flava; pedibus viridescenti-flavis ; iride flava. Long. tota circa 11:0, ale 4°8, caudee 1°7, 
culm. 1°8, tarsi 1:6. (Descr. maris adulti ex Atitlan, Guatemala. Mus. nostr.) 
Ptil. hiem. ptilosi wstivee similis, sed letior, collo clarius castaneo ; scapularibus rufo vel ochraceo marginatis. 
2 ad. Supra brunnescenti-castanea, scapularibus ochraceo-fulvo marginatis ; gutture medio pallide ochraceo, 
nigro striolatim variegato, gule lateribus albis ; pectore laterali nigro, plumis ochraceo marginatis ; corpore 
reliquo subtus pallide ochraceo, hypochondriis anguste nigro lineatis ; abdomine et subcaudalibus albis. 
Long. tota circa 11:0, ale 4:7. (Deser. femine adulte ex Atitlan, Guatemala. Mus. nostr.) 
Juv. Supra rufescenti-castanea, plumis singulis ochraceo marginatis ; pileo nigro, rufo lavato ; collo postico 
et laterali castaneo ; facie laterali et gutture sicut in femina adulta notato, sed maculis linearibus nigris 
latioribus ; corpore reliquo subtus ochraceo, plumis medialiter nigro lineatis, abdomine et subcaudalibus 
albis, ochraceo lineatis ; pectoris lateribus castaneis, hypochondriis saturate ochraceis, nigro striolatim 
lineatis. (Descr. av. juv. ex Duenas. Mus. nostr.) 
Hab. Temperate Nortn America, north to the British Provinces *.—Mexico (Hay !*), 
Mazatlan (Grayson ®), Valley of Mexico (Herrera? *), city of Mexico (Elwes 1°), 
Lake Patzcuaro (Baker, Jouy 11), Laguna del Baltazar, Laguna de San Felipe 
