204 ARDEID.^. 



bling the bark of a dog, or more nearly the grunt a paviour 

 gives when dropping his rammer" (Zool. p. 2498). The 

 female, when disturbed from her nest, utters a sound like 

 gett, gett. The nest is a solid structure of flag-leaves and 

 bits of grass, attached to upright growing reeds, very little 

 above the water ; and sometimes, according to Gloger, a 

 deserted Magpie's nest in some low bush near a swamp is 

 utilized. The eggs are usually four or five in number, but 

 nine are said to have been found ; they are of a uniform 

 dull white, averaging in measurements 1-4 by 1 in. Incu- 

 bation is said to last sixteen or seventeen days. 



In the adult male, the beak, lore, and irides are yellow ; 

 the top of the head, occiput, shoulders, wing-primaries, and 

 tail-feathers, are of a shining greenish-black ; all the wing- 

 coverts buff- coloured ; the cheeks and sides of the neck, 

 throughout its whole length, buff; the back of the neck 

 almost bare, as in the true Bitterns, but the feathers of the 

 sides of the neck passing obliquely backwards and downwards 

 hide the almost naked space ; the chin and the neck in front 

 white, partially tinged with buff; the feathers at the bottom 

 of the neck in front are elongated, but there is no true 

 occipital plume, or elongated feathers, on the back, as in 

 the Herons ; on the lower part of the neck on each side, 

 just in advance of the carpal joint of the wing, when the 

 wing is closed, a few of the feathers have dark centres with 

 buff-coloured margins ; breast, belly, thighs, and under tail- 

 coverts, buff, with a small patch of white about the vent ; 

 under wing-coverts and the axillary plume pale buff; the 

 legs, toes, and claws, greenish-yellow. 



The adult female differs from the male in having a brown 

 tinge on the black feathers of the occiput ; the side of the 

 head and the back of the neck are rufous ; the feathers of 

 the throat and front neck have brown shaft-streaks and buff 

 edges; the wing-coverts are brownish-buff; the back dark 

 brown, margined with buff; and the breast and flanks are 

 much streaked with brown.* 



* In former Editions it was stated tbat " males and females, when adult, are 

 alike in plumage " [Rr>.]. 



