256 BIRDS OF BRITISH BIJRMAH. 



Indo-Burmese countries, China, Cochin China, the Malay peninsula and 

 the islands nearly up to Australia, where it appears to he replaced by a 

 closely allied race, A. australis, Cuv. 



This Bittern is mostly found in plains of grass, paddy-fields and swamps ; 

 but I met with it in the streams of the Pegu hills, where it was tolerably 

 abundant. It is chiefly nocturnal in its habits. I have frequently found 

 its nest in July a shallow structure of sticks placed in bamboo bushes or 

 on cane-brakes, and containing three or four pale green eggs. 



Genus ARDETTA, G. E. Gray. 



621. ARDETTA CINNAMOMEA, 

 THE CHESTNUT BITTERN. 



Ardea cinnamomea, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 643. Ardetta cinnamomea, Jerd. B. 

 Ind. ii. p, 755; Hume, Nests and Eggs, p. 622 ; id. 8. F. ii. p. 311 ; Salvad. Ucc. 

 Born. p. 354; Bl. B. Burm. p. 160; Oates, S. F. v. p. 168 ; David et Oust. Ois. 

 Chine, p. 447 ; Hume fy Dav. S. F. vi. p. 483 ; Cripps, 8. F. vii. p. 308 ; Hume, 

 8. F. viii. p. 114 ; Bingham, 8. F. viii. p. 197, ix. p. 198 ; Oates, 8. F. x. p. 243; 

 Kelham, Ibis, 1882, p. 195. Ardeiralla cinnamomea, Legge, Birds Ceylon, 

 p. 1162. 



Description. Male. The whole upper plumage, wings and tail deep 

 chestnut ; chin and throat white tinged with fulvous ; sides of the face 

 chestnut ; the whole lower plumage pale chestnut, darker on the flanks 

 and the outside of the thighs under tail-coverts whitish ; a broken central 

 streak down the front of the neck brown, formed by each feather having a 

 patch on the inner web; an irregular brownish-black breast-band con- 

 tinued as a complete collar round the shoulders, formed by each feather 

 having a central patch of that colour ; the forehead tinged with purple. 



The female has the forehead, crown and nape purplish brown ; sides of 

 the head pale reddish brown ; chin and throat whitish ; fore neck pale 

 buff, a blackish line tinged with rufous running down its whole length 

 from the throat to the breast ; sides of the neck buff, each feather broadly 

 edged with yellowish; breast and sides of the body buff, each feather 

 centred with dark brown ; abdomen, vent and under tail-coverts white 

 tinged with buff; under wing- coverts buff streaked with brown ; quills 

 chestnut ; primary-coverts chestnut with dusky centres ; upper wing- 

 coverts, tertiaries and scapulars dull chestnut barred with light buff; tail 

 dull chestnut ; back and rump brown with a rufous tinge. 



Eyelids and facial skin reddish purple ; bill nearly all yellow, the culm en 

 alone being dark brown ; legs and toes yellowish green ; claws brown ; 

 iris yellow to pale red. The female has the facial skin, the margins of the 



