28.^ 



REVIEW OF JAPANESE BIRDS. 



Two Japanese specimens of Bittern agree iu every respect with Euro- 

 l)eau examples. Their coloration is identical, and the table of measure- 

 ments given below shows that there is no diflfereuce in size. 



Captain Blakiston (in ''Chrysanthemum" for April, 1883, p. 173) 

 remarks that " the Common Bittern seems to vary much in size. Ten 

 specimens obtained one day in February in the Yokohama market by 

 Mr. Owstou ran thus : Males, wings 342 to 360, bills 71 to 74, tarsi 96 to 

 98; females, wiugs 310 to 325, bills 02 to 73, tarsi 82 to 92; while in 

 the Hakodate museum is a female example obtained in April which 

 only measured 538 in total length, and 280 in the wing." 



The latter (Blak. No. 1420, Ilakod. Mus.No. 1059), according to Cap- 

 tain Blakistou's manuscript notes, was a female collected by him at 

 Kuuebetz, Yezo, April 0, 1874. The measurements, however, are so 

 much under the minimum of ordinary specimens, that I am somewhat 

 skeptical as to the correctness of the identification, for the early date 

 shows that it was no young bird of that year. The length of the wing, 

 280'"'", on the other hand, is nearly like the average length of wing 

 in the American Bittern {B. lentiginosus Mont.). This species is very 

 easily distinguished by the uniform blackish color of the jjrimaries, 

 ■which iu B. stellcbris are irregularly barred with cinnamon-rufous. It 

 would, therefore, be interesting if anybody having access to the speci- 

 men in question (Hakodate Museum, Xo. 1059) would examine it in re- 

 gard to its primaries and report the result of his examination. The 

 American Bittern on the Pacific coast goes as far north as Vancouver 

 Island, at least. 



Measurements. 



ARDETTA Gray. 



1827.— J?-deo?a Bonaparte, Specchio Comp., p. 60 (type ^. mhiiita Lin.) (nee BoiE, 



1822). 

 1842. — Ardetta Grav, App. List Geu. B., p. 13 (same type). 

 1842. — Erodisciia Gloger, Haudb. Naturg. (p. 410) (same type). 

 18S7. —Xannocnua Stejneger, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mu3., 1887, p. 289 (type A. eurhythma 



Sw.). 



