Cory's bittern. 109 



they are thus enabled to get quickly out of danger without being 

 seen. 



In Manitoba the Least Bittern is mentioned as an accidental 

 visitor, only one specimen having been obtained in ten years. 



At Hamilton Bay he arrives about the middle of May and leaves 

 early in September. 



BOTAURUS NEOXENUS (Cory). 

 72. Cory's Bittern. (191rf) 



" Top of the head, back and tail, dark greenish-black, showing a green gloss 

 when held to the light; sides of the head and throat, rufous chestnut; the 

 feathers on the back of the neck showing greenish -black tips ; breast and undei' 

 parts nearly uniform rufous chestnut, shading into dull Ijlack on the sides ; wing 

 coverts, dark i-ufous chestnut ; under wing coveits, paler chestnut ; all the 

 remiges entirely slaty plumlieous ; under tail coverts uniform, dull black. Total 

 length, 10.80; wing, 4.30; tarsus, 1.40; culmen, 1.80. 



" Hab. — Florida, Okeechobee region. 



"In the specimen above described, two of the flank feathers on one 

 side are white, but this may be attributed to albinism. There is no 

 trace of a stripe on the sides of the back as in A. exilis. The bird in 

 question is claimed to have been shot in south-west Florida, and was 

 brought to Tampa with a number of other species, including A. exilis, 

 Anas fivlvigula and Ajaja ajaja. It is without doubt perfectly dis- 

 tinct from any other known species." 



The above is copied 'from the Auk, Vol. III., page 262, which 

 is the first published notice of the species. The writer is Mr. Charles 

 B. Cory. 



In the Auk, Vol. VIII., page 309, is a notice of another specimen 

 of this bird being secured. There is also given an account of the 

 nest, which was discovered on the borders of the small lake near 

 which Mr. Cory's specimens were found. It was quite similar to the 

 nest of the Least Bittern which occurs in the same region, the one 

 being known as the hrown, and the other as the black bittern. The 

 nest contained four young birds about two-thirds grown, the female 

 allowing herself to be taken in the hand rather than leave the nest. 

 The male was also within three or four feet during the examination. 



I read the first account of this little bittern as given above in the 

 Auk, for 1886, but thought no more about it till the summer of 1890, 

 when Mr. Wm. Cross, taxidermist, of Toronto, sent me for identi- 



