232 



buff down the centre of the throat, centre of the body, and outer 

 aspect of the thighs ; on each side of the upper breast a tuft of 

 dependent plumes, black with fulvous tips ; under wing-coverts 

 white, the greater series ashy with white tips ; axillaries dingy 

 brown ; quills ashy below : " bill dark olive-brown above, edges of 

 upper mandible and bare frontal space yellow ; lower mandible 

 pale yellow, inclining to flesh-colour; feet duU greenish yellow, 

 claws brown ; iris yellow " {J. J. Audubon). Total length 12 

 inches, culmen 1*9, wing 4'8, tail 1*55, tarsus 1-55. 



Winter plumage. Very similar to the summer plumage but 

 brighter and more chestnut, the scapulars with yellowish-buff 

 margins, these scapular edgings often becoming obsolete with the 

 wear of the feathers during the breeding-season. 



Adult female. Differs from the male in being dark chocolate- 

 brown on the back, with broad ochraceous margins to the scapulars, 

 the yellowish-buff streak down the centre of the throat distinctly 

 pronounced, and varied with blackish streaks, which are also 

 apparent on the sides of the body ; the black plumes on the sides of 

 the breast with golden-buff margins. Total length 12'5 inches, 

 culmen 1-7, wing 4-6, tail 1-45, tarsus 1'45. 



The female in winter plumage appears to be less brightly 

 coloured, the sides of the breast ashy brown instead of golden buff ; 

 the wing-coverts are clay-brown, and not bright ochraceous as in 

 the summer plumage. 



Young. Brown like the female on the upper parts, but mottled 

 all over with yellowish-buff margins to the feathers, the head dusky 

 rufous or chestnut like tho back, the rufous feathers on the sides of 

 the neck fringed with yellowish-buff tips, the primaries tipped with 

 rufous like the secondaries. 



A veiy curious example of this Little Bittern was shot by 

 Mr. Salvin on the Lake of Dueiias, in December 1861. It seems 

 to be identical with ordinary adult specimens of A. exilis, but has 

 the tarsus only 1*15 in length. As all the other specimens from 

 the Lake of Duefias appear to be typical A. e.vilis, this abnormal 

 specimen can only be regarded as a dwarfed individual of that 

 species. 



Hab. North America generally up to the Great Lakes, south to 

 Texas, Florida, California, and the Greater Antilles, Central 

 America. 



a. 2 imm. sk. 



b. Imm. sk. 



c. cJ ad. sk. 



d. c? imm. sk. 



/. 



ad. sk. 

 ad. sk. 



New Haven, Conn., Sept. 21 



{A.J.Dayan: Hensh. Coll.). 

 Chicago, III., May {Hensh. 



Coll.). 

 Waukegan, 111., June {E. W. 



Nelson: Hensh. Coll.). 

 Pawtuxent River, Indiana, 



Sept. (Hctish. Coll.). 

 Florida {Hensh. Coll.). 

 Ocklawaha lliver, Florida, 



April {C. H. Merriam: 



Hensh. Coll.). 



Salvin-Godman 



Salvin-Godman 



Salvin-Godman 



Salvin-Godman 



Salvin-Godman 

 Salvin-Godman 



Coll. 



CoU. 



Coll. 



Coll. 



Coll. 

 CoU. 



