LITTLE BITTERN. 



469 



GRALLATORES. 



ARDElD.i:. 



THE LITTLE BITTERN 



Ardea minitta, Little Bittern Heron, Penn. Biit. Zool. vol. ii. p. 18. 



Little Bittern, 



Bntaurus miiiutus, 

 Ardea miniita, 

 Botaurus minutus, 

 Ardea ?;ii«uta, 



,, Heron, 



,, Bittern, 



Heron Blongios, 



RIoNT. Ornith. Diet. 

 Bewick, Brit. Birds, vol. 

 adult. 



p. 27, 



•29. 



young. 

 Flem. Brit. An. p. 97. 

 Selby, Brit. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 36. 

 Jenvns, Brit. Vert. p. 189. 

 Gould, Birds of Europe, pt. x. 

 Temm. Man. d'Ornith. vol. ii. p. 584, 



Botaurus. Generic Characters. — Beak as long, or rather longer, than the 

 head, strong, higher than broad, the mandibles of equal lengtli, upper mandible 

 slightly curved downwards. Nostrils basal, linear, longitudinal, lodged in a 

 furrow, and partly covered by a naked membrane. Legs of mean length ; toes 



