THE BLUE BITTERN. 255 



further islands in the Pacific Ocean. In China and Japan a similar but 

 larger species occurs, which has been named B. macrorhyncha. Specimens 

 from India are much duller in coloration as a rule than B.javanica from 

 Burmah and Java. 



This Bittern is very abundant in all the wooded streams of Burmah, 

 concealing itself during the day in bushes and coming out to feed at dusk. 

 I have never found its eggs ; but it probably breeds in July, making its 

 nest in low bushes and reeds. Its eggs are greenish white. 



Genus ARDEIRALLA, Verr. 



620, ARDEIRALLA FLAVICOLLIS. 



THE BLUE BITTERN. 



Ardea flavicollis, Lath. Ind. Orn. ii. p. 701 ; Hume, Nests and Eggs, p. 621. 

 Ardetta flavicollis, Jerd. B. Ind. ii. p. 753; Bl B. Burm. p. 160; Hume, 

 8. F. iii. p. 191 ; Wald. Trans. Zool. Soc. ix. p. 236 ; David et Oust. Ois. Chine, 

 p. 446 ; Hume 8f Dav. 8. F. vi. p. 483 ; Cripps, 8. F. vii. p. 308 ; Hume, 8. F. 

 viii. p. 114; Bingham, 8. F. ix. p. 198; Gates, 8. F. x. p. 243. Ardeiralla 

 flavicollis, Salvad. Ucc. Born. p. 353; Legge, Birds Ceylon, p. 1159. 



Description. Male and female. General colour of the plumage ashy 

 blue ; the feathers of the scapulars and breast lengthened, those of the 

 head and neck soft and very ample ; chin and throat white, the feathers 

 tipped with chestnut ; a broad yellowish band down each side of the neck 

 more or less concealed or diminished in extent by the overlapping of the 

 feathers of the fore neck, each of which is whitish on outer web, chestnut on 

 the inner and broadly tipped with black; feathers of the breast ashy blue like 

 the general plumage, but with each feather edged white on the outer web. 



The young bird, while possessing the general features of the adult 

 plumage, is chiefly brown, the feathers edged with rufous. 



Bill dusky reddish brown, lighter below ; facial skin purplish brown ; 

 eyelids bluish ; iris golden brown or pale red ; legs dark brown ; claws 

 dark horn-colour. 



Length 24 inches, tail 2'8, wing 8'2, tarsus 2*9, bill from gape 4. The 

 female is of the same size. 



The Blue Bittern is common over the whole of Pegu, both in the plains 

 and in the hills, and probably it will also be found to be abundant in 

 Arrakan. Mr. Davison states that it is rare in Tenasserim ; but he procured 

 it at several widely separated localities, and it will therefore be probably 

 found scattered over the whole Division. 



It occurs over the greater part of the Indian peninsula and Ceylon, the 



