140 



BITTERNS. 



WHERE one individual of a form is only present in 

 a fauna, it is often difficult to show its gradations ; 

 and, were no more discovered, it might merge into 

 the adjacent genera, as only a very aberrant 

 species ; but, where others appear of a like struc- 

 ture, and are seen carrying a representative type 

 into other countries, it is often better, for the sake 

 of facilitating the artificial arrangement, to sepa- 

 rate them. In the Little Bitterns, we have some 

 parts of the form of the small egrets strongly 

 marked, but the feathers on the head and neck 

 are more broadly formed, and those on the back 

 and scapulars are without division or separation 

 of the webs, the tarsi clothed to the knees ; the 

 manners very skulking, and the nidification said 

 to be on the ground ; in which habits, and in the 

 very narrow and compressed form of their bodies, 

 they show a close alliance to the rails. The 

 Prince of Canino has apparently acted on the same 

 principles, and has given to these birds, taking 

 the Ardea minuta and Exilis as typical, the title of 

 ARDEOLA (Bittern-Heron.) Our native species is 



THE LITTLE BITTERN, ARDEOLA MINUTA. Ar- 

 dea, minuta,) Penn, etc. Heron Hongios, lemrn. 

 Botaurus minutus, Selby, etc. Little Bittern-Heron, 

 Penn. The Little Bittern of British authors. 



