1'^'*^ LEAST BITTERN 



may walk over them in perfect safety, but the smaller ones sink beneath the weight of is 

 man, so that it is not safe to venture on them. These isolated spots of laud are the chosen 

 resort of the American Bitterns and lierc they build their nests of sticks, placing them on 

 the ground amid the luxuriant grass, often but a few inches above the level of the water. 

 The birds are not particularly shy when sitting, and I have often walked within a few feet 

 of tliem, before they would rise; and upon one occasion, when one hail her nest on one of 

 the smaller islands, where the surface sunk beneath my weiglit ior some distance around, 

 the bird clung to her abode, even a,fter it was submerged. This was about the first week 

 in June, and I found from three to .;ix fresh eggs, but in Massachusetts, where they build 

 on a bog in wet meadows, they lay a little earlier than this; and from observations ni;ide 

 in Florithi, although I never found an eis^s:,, I am inclined to think that these birds breed 

 early in March. During summer, these Bitterns are not found very commonly on the sea- 

 shore, hut in autumn, I have frequently shot them on the salt marshes, and at this season, 

 they are very fat. This species is migratory, bat same linger until very late, and I have 

 started them from beside an open spring, late in November, when the grouml was covered 

 with saov^. Bitterns appear to be subject to some peculiar disease wliich causes the ^kin 

 of the neck to become greatly thickened, when it hangs in loose folds. During the past 

 summer, Mr Outrani Bangs called my attention to the fact, that when the Bitterns alight in 

 the tall grass, they pull down a quantity, thus forming a percli upon which they sit. 



GENUS IV. ARDETTA. THE LITTLE CITTEENS. 



Gen. Cii. Bill, qui/c short anil aculchj pointed. Leijs and toes, not very long. Tail feathers, either eiyht or ten, not 

 stiffened. Head provided with slightly Icnijthened feat hers . 



Members of this genus are very small, with the lower neck behind destitute of feathers, butthose on thesidesand front 

 are elongated. There is but one species within our limits. Sexes, not simihir. 



ARDETTA EXILI3. 

 Least Bittern. 



Ardetta exilis Ur.\t., Gen. Birds; 1849. 

 DESCRIPTION. 

 Sp. Cii. Form, slender. Size, very small. Tongue, wide at base, long, and tapering gradually toward tip which 

 is horny and pointed. 



CoLoit. Adult male. Top of head, hack, and tail, black, glossed with green. Wings, brown, with outer edge of in- 

 ner secondaries, tips of all and of the greater coverts, sides of neck and stripe on .sidesof head next the black, chestnut-red. 

 Upper wing coverts, neck, and under surface, buffy -yellow, mixed with white. Spot on side of breast, brown. Iris, na- 

 ked space about lioad, bill, and feet, yellow. 



Adult female. Similar to the male but the black of the back is rejjlaoed by brown and tlje yellow i^ overwashcd with 

 ashy and streaked with brown, 



Youny of the year. Similar to the adult female, but is mottled with reddish and yellowish above. In the last twi> 

 stages, the top of the upper mandible is brown. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Readily known by the small size, and colors as described. Florida birds have only eight tail feathers, whereas those 

 from the North have ten. Distributed, in summer, from Massachusetts, southward; wintering in Florida. 



DIMENSIONS. 

 Average measurements of specimens from Florida. Length, 13-25; stretch, lfi-75; wing, 4S5; tail, ITO; bill, IBj; tar- 

 sus, 1-75. Longe'^t specimen, 13-50; greatest extent of wing, 17-50; longest wing, 5-00: tail. 1-75; bill, TOO; tarsus, 1 80. 

 Shortest specimen, IS'OO; smallest extent of wing, IG'OO; shortest wing, 4-75; tail, 1H5; bill, 1-75; tarsus, 1-70. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 

 Nests, placed in tops of grass or Inishes, comjm.sed of sticks, weeds, and grass. Ei/ys, from three to four in number, 

 elliptical in foriii, pale blue in culor, unspotted. Dimensions from ■95x 1"25 to 1-00 x 1 30. 



