BOTAURUS PUSILLUS. 721 
not the same as the Little Bittern of Europe, with which it has been 
identified; and Mr. Gurney informs us that all references to A. minuta 
by himself and Mr. Ayres belong to the present species. This pretty 
little Heron is not uncommon in all suitable localities in the colony ; 
and Mr. Chapman brought it in considerable abundance from the 
Zambesi. It conceals itself among reeds, and lies so close that the 
shooter often treads within a few feet of it before it will rise. 
Mr. L. C. Layard has shot several pair in the neighbourhood of Cape 
Town. Mr. Rickard has once met with it near Port Elizabeth, but 
we have no other notices of its occurrence in the eastern districts. 
Mr. Ayres has procured the species in Natal, and in the Transvaal 
he says it “is common amongst the reedy swamps and banks of 
rivers, where it lies close amongst the reeds and hedges, and is not 
always easily flushed ; its flight is never lengthened.” Mr. Andersson 
observes :—“I never met with this species in Damara or Great 
Namaqua Land; but it is not uncommon on the rivers Okavango 
and Teoughe, and also at Lake N’gami. It inhabits marshy districts, 
where it hides closely, coming out on the approach of night to feed 
on small fish and reptiles, and also on insects and mollusca. It is 
found singly or in pairs.” Senor Anchieta has forwarded specimens 
from the Coroca River and Mossamedes, and it was found by Messrs. 
Capello and Ivens, who met with it on the banks of the Quango, 
in the interior. Mr. Monteiro’s specimens, which were wrongly 
identified as belonging to Ardea minuta, were shot by him at the 
Bimbas or fresh-water lakes at Benguela. 
We translate the description given by Professor Barboza du 
Bocage from African specimens.. 
Adult male.—Top of the head, occiput, back and tail, glossy 
egreenish-black ; cheeks and neck bright rufous, inclining to ochra- 
ceous on the fore-neck and chest; wing-coverts pearl-grey, the 
lesser coverts washed with rufous; under-surface of body ochra- 
ceous-rufous; the middle of the belly and under tail-coverts 
white; bill yellow, browner on the culmen; feet greenish-yellow ; 
iris orange-yellow. 
Female.—Has the back dark maroon-brown, instead of black, 
with narrow yellowish edgings to the feathers. 
OA 
