8 6 lII | Chapman, The Standing- of Ardetta neoxena. 17 



has been compared by Mr. Brewster with a bird (No. 44,087) in 

 his collection, and which he has loaned me. • Mr. Brewster 

 remarks : " The Toronto bird is a trifle the darker on the back 

 and the chestnut of its under parts is slightly richer, but in other 

 respects the two specimens are almost exactly alike." This No. 

 44,087 is not sexed, but with little doubt is an adult female. 

 The outer margins of the interscapulars are decidedly brownish, 

 but whether this marking appears in the two Toronto birds is 

 not stated. 



It appears, therefore, that there is less sexual difference in 

 neoxena than in exilis. In size the two birds agree. 



Ardetta neoxena, $ immature. Ardetta exilis, $ immature. 



Similar to adult male but black Similar to adult male but crown 



of tbe bead and back somewhat duller, the feathers margined with 

 duller, the outer margins of the chestnut rufous; back slate gray 

 interscapulars slightly tinged with or blackish slate gray, the feathers 

 chestnut. tipped with chestnut rufous and 



ochraceous buff ; under parts more 

 ■ heavily washed with buff, and with 

 numerous blackish shaft-streaks. 



Four of the ten specimens of neoxena now in my possession are 

 birds of the year, three of them still showing remains of the 

 nestling plumage. This is especially marked in a male from 

 Toronto (Aug. 24, J. H. Ames) in which the nestling plumage still 

 covers the abdominal region while the feathers of the head and 

 back, although fully grown, still have the downy neossoptiles 

 attached to their tips. These specimens are of the utmost impor- 

 tance for they evidently show that the immature plumage of 

 neoxena, or the first plumage succeeding the nestling down, is 

 practically like that of the adult, while exilis, on the contrary, at 

 this age, differs markedly from the adult. 



Here also should be mentioned the notes of Mr. J. F. Menge 

 on the nest and young of neoxena, as quoted by Mr. W. E. D. 

 Scott. 1 Mr. Menge, who collected four of the six Florida speci- 

 mens, writes as follows : " I herewith send you notes concerning 

 the Bittern as requested by Mr. J. W. Atkins, first found on 8th 



•Auk, VIII, 1891, 309. 



