423 



BOTAURUS MINUTUS. THE LITTLE BITTERN 



BOONK. LONG-NECK. 



Fig. 35. 



Ardea minuta. Linn. Syst. Nat. I. 240. 



Ardea minuta. Lath. Ind. Ornith. II. 683. 



Little Bittern, Mont. Orn. Diet, and Supplt. 



Heron Blongios. Ardea minuta. Temm. Man. d' Ornith. II. 584. 



Little Bittern. Botaurus minutus. Selh. Illustr. II. 36. 



Ardea minuta. Little Heron. Jen. Brit. Vert. Anim. 189. 



Ardeola minuta. Bonap. Comp. List, 48. 



Length about fourteen inches ; tibia entirely feathered. 

 Male with the upper part of the head, the back, scapulars, 

 and tail glossy greenish-black ; the sides of the head, the 

 neck, lower parts, and smaller tving-coverts light reddish- 

 yellow. Female similar, but with the tints less deep. Young 

 with the upper part of the head dark brown ; the feathers of 

 the back dark brown, edged with yellow ; the fore-neck yel- 

 loioish-white, streaked with dusky ; the sides of the head, 

 hind part of the neck, icing -coverts, and breast brownish-red, 

 streaked with dusky and brown. 



