756 BIRDS OF INDIA. 



verging to pale brownish ; quills and tail black ; sides of the 

 breast deep brown, edged with pale yellow, passing to wliite on 

 the vent and under tail-coverts ; back of neck and rest of lower 

 plumage yellowish-white, passing to white. 



Bill pale yellow, brownish on the culmen ; irides yellow ; legs 

 and feet pale green. Length 14 to 15 inches ; wing 5^^ ; tail If ; 

 bill at front 2^ ; tarsus If ; middle toe 1 ; claw 2. 



The young bird has the upper plumage more or less cinnamon 

 brown, mixed with pale fulvous, and some of the occipital feathers 

 blackish-brown. 



This Bittern is less abundant than the last, but is equally diffused 

 throughout India and the neighbouring countries, or even still more 

 so, being found in the Ladrone islands.' It frequents similar situ- 

 ations, and has like habits. 



935. Ardetta minuta, Linn^us. 



Ardea, apud Linn^us, Blyth, Cat. 1655 — Gould, Birds of 

 Europe, pi. 282. 



The Little Bittern of Europe. 



Descr. — Top of head, occiput, back, scapulars, and tail, glossy 

 black ; small wing-coverts and the upper three-fourths of the 

 other coverts pale sienna-yellow, the lower fourth more or less 

 white ; quills ashy-black ; cheeks, neck, and all the lower surface 

 of the body pale rufescent, tinged with purplish yellow on the 

 neck, and with brown streaks on the flanks. 



Bill bright yellow, dusky above ; round the eyes yellow ; irides 

 yellow ; feet yellowish-green. Length 14 inches; wing ^^ ; tail 2; 

 bill at front If ; tarsus 1^ ; middle toe If. 



The Little Bittern of Europe is said to have been procured in 

 Nepal, and is also recorded in Adams' List of the Birds of India, 

 No. 272 ; but as some of the species recorded by this observer 

 do not appear to have been correctly identified, he may have mis- 

 taken the last bird for it. 



Bonaparte records of this lesser group, A. pusilla,\., from 

 Australia, very like minuta ; A. pndiceps, Bonap., from Africa ; 

 A., exilis, L., and A. ert/thromelas, V., from America. 



