40 BULLETIN 186, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



in May, 1916, constitutes the sole record. If the species is really a 

 resident of the North, rather than a mere straggler, it should be ex- 

 pected to occur in Nan Province also. 



This is a nocturnal species that lives in dense evergreen forest. In 

 coloration it looks something like a huge cinnamon bittern {Ixobry- 

 chus cinnamomeus) . It has a long black crest; the upperparts cin- 

 namon, vermiculated everywhere with wavy, black bars ; the tail and 

 a large area near the tip of the wing black; the underparts rufous, 

 mottled with black and buff. 



IXOBRYCHUS SINENSIS SINENSIS (Gmelin) 



Chinese Yellow Bittern 



[Ardea] Sinensis Gmelin, Systema naturae, vol. 1, pt. 2, 1789, pp. 642-643 (China, 



ex Latham). 

 Ardetta sinensis, Gyldenstolpe, Kungl. Svenska Vet.-Akad. Handl., 1916, p. 139 



(Chiang Rai). 

 Ixobrychns sinensis, Gyedenstolpe, Ibis, 1920, p. 769 ("Throughout Siam"). 

 lxobrychus sinensis sinensis, Deignan, Journ. Siam Soc. Nat. Hist. SuppL, 1931, 



p. 173 (Chiang Mai) ; 1936, p. 74 (Chiang Mai) . 



The yellow bittern appears in numbers during the rains and is prob- 

 ably found at that season throughout the northern provinces. I con- 

 sidered it common on the large marshes between Chiang Mai and 

 Lamphun, but rare in the ricefields, from June 28 to October 13. Gyl- 

 denstolpe found it not uncommon in August in the neighborhood of 

 Chiang Eai. It occurs sporadically during the cold weather at suit- 

 ably wet places, for an immature specimen was brought to me at Chi- 

 ang Mai, January IT, 1936, and I myself saw two or three at a small 

 marsh near the town between January 30 and February 11, 1936. I 

 have also taken an immature bird at Ban Pa Som, on the Nan river 

 just south of our limits, April 9, 1937. 



This tiny heron is said to be largely nocturnal in habits, but I found 

 it active enough during the dark, cloudy days of the rainy season and 

 easy to flush by walking along the elevated bunds which border the 

 marshes. It hides among the sedges and, when not actually in mo- 

 tion, is extraordinarily well concealed among the lanceolate leaves. 

 It may try to escape observation by climbing quietly away through 

 the reeds or may fly a short distance across the marsh to vanish again 

 into thick cover. 



Gyldenstolpe noted that his specimens had the irides yellow ; the bill 

 yellowish green, with culmen brown; the feet and toes yellowish 

 green. 



The cinnamon bittern will be found at the same places as the present 

 species, but there is no need to confuse them, for the latter wholly 

 lacks the cinnamon hue. The adult has the top of the head black; 



