Vol. 31, pp. 83-84 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF 1 If I 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



DESCRIPTION OF A NEW SUBSPECIES OF THE LITTLE 

 YELLOW BITTERN FROM THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. 



BY ALEXANDER WETMORE. 



While examining and comparing skins of Ixobrychus sinensis 

 collected in Polynesia, with specimens taken elsewhere it be- 

 came evident that birds from the Philippine Islands differ con- 

 stantly in certain characters from those from other regions. In 

 spite of the fact that a number of names have been given to 

 these bitterns from various parts of their extensive range, there 

 seems to be none available for the form under discussion. The 

 birds found in the Philippine Islands therefore may be known as 



Ixobrychus sinensis astrologus, subsp. nov. 



Characters. — Similar to Ixobrijchus sinensis bryani (Seale) from Guam 

 but smaller, bill in adult more slender, back darker, more brownish, under 

 tail coverts somewhat more buffy, upper breast and foreneck slightly 

 paler, back of neck slightly paler, more reddish. 



Description. — Type, No. 254201, U. S. National Museum, male adult, 

 from Paete, Laguna, Luzon, Philippine Islands; collected July 26, 1915, 

 by R. C. McGregor and A. Celestino. Forehead slate-gray shading at 

 once into dusky neutral gray on crown, this neutral gray extending over 

 the slightly elongated crest; back of neck pecan brown, this color passing 

 down to shoulders; back and scapulars snub" brown, the feathers of the 

 upper back tipped with olive-brown, the snuff brown of the back shading 

 into fuscous on the rump; upper tail coverts black, lightly glossed with 

 faintly iridescent greenish; tertials dull sayal brown faintly edged with 

 hair brown ; greater and middle wing coverts tawny-olive, broadly mar- 

 gined with pinkish buff; lesser wing coverts slightly paler than tawny- 

 olive; shoulder pecan brown ; exposed upper surfaces of primaries, sec- 

 ondaries, feathers of alula and rectrices dusky neutral gray; outer edge 

 of outer primary very narrowly margined with cream color; median por- 

 tion of outer web of outer feathers on alula broadly margined with cream 

 color, becoming white toward the base; anterior margin of wing, under 



J4— Pkoc. Biol. SOC. Wash., Vol.. 31, 1918. (83) 



