THE LITTLE BITTERN. 2 7 



This active, attractive, and graceful bird, comes north to us in the summer 

 and spring migration season, but occasionally it appears in winter. As a rule, 

 even those that breed in southern Europe, and along the northern shores of the 

 Mediterranean, migrate southwards, in winter, into tropical and even southern 

 Africa. The Little Bittern seems to range to western Asia only its place in 

 eastern Asia, across to Japan, being taken by an allied species, and by way of 

 Asia Minor, and Palestine, to India. It is, however, rarely found to the north 

 of the sixtieth parallel of latitude in Europe, or far out of the Himalayas in 

 India. Westward, it extends to the Azores, and Madeira. 



The species comprising the genus Ardetta, agree with the Night-Herons in 

 having the second quill of the wing the longest ; but they have only ten feathers 

 instead of twelve in the soft rounded tail. Their middle toe, with its claw, is 

 shorter than the next higher segment of the limb. The feathers on the head 

 are elongated, but do not form a crest ; there are no dorsal plumes as in the 

 Herons, but the feathers of the chest are elongated. The hind neck is bare, but 

 concealed by the feathers along its sides. Unlike the Herons also, the females differ 

 from the males in colour and markings. The Little Bittern inhabits marshes, 

 covered with reeds, osier thickets or aquatic herbage. 



In presenting relationships both towards the Herons and the true Bitterns of 

 the genus Botaurus, the members of this group form a connecting link between 

 the two genera. 



In breeding plumage the Little Bittern has the whole of the dorsal surface, 

 the back of the neck, up to the crown of the head, black glossed with green ; 

 the lesser wing-coverts, the sides of the neck, the throat, the chest with its elon- 

 gated plumes, and the rest of the under surface, rich vinous buff; the long 

 feathers on the breast, partly concealed by the pectoral ruff, are blackish brown, 

 with vinous margins, and the under wing-coverts are white. The bill, legs, and 

 feet, are yellowish-green ; the bare space round and in front of the eye, yellow. 



The adult female differs from the male in being slightly smaller, and in 

 having a brown tinge on the top of the head, the lower neck, the back, scapulars, 

 and inner secondaries, chestnut-brown, with reddish buff edges ; the back and sides 

 of the head, chestnut; the chin, throat, and chest, have dark ochreous centres to 

 the feathers, while those of the breast and sides of the body are centred with 

 black, producing a distinct effect of longitudinal striping on the back, throat, 

 chest, and sides. 



The Little Bittern begins to arrive in Europe during the month of April, 

 and in April or May, according to the latitude in which its breeding quarters are 

 reached. For a short time after their arrival these birds seem to loaf, and are to 



