A HAND-LIST OF BRITISH BIRDS. 125 



NYCTICORAX NYCTICQRAX 



266. Nycticorax nycticorax nycticorax (L.) THE NIGHT- 

 HERON. 



ARDEA NYCTICORAX Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 142 (1758 S. Europe). 

 Nycticorax griseus (Linnaeus), Yarrell, iv, p. 195 ; Saunders, p. 379. 



DISTRIBUTION. British Isles. Vagrant. England. Many south 

 and east coasts as far north as Yorks., a good many inland, but 

 few west and north. Chiefly spring and autumn. Only seven or 

 eight recorded during last twelve years. Scotland. Four in south, 

 one Aberdeen, several Argyll, one 0. Hebrides. Ireland. Twenty- 

 four, of which only one is from Connaught . 



DISTRIBUTION. Abroad. South and central Europe as well as 

 nearly whole of Africa and greater part of Asia as far south as the 

 Sunda Islands. Migratory in northern parts of its breeding range. 

 Represented by closely -allied forms in America. 



IXOBRYCHUS MINUTUS* 



267. Ixobrychus minutus (L.) THE LITTLE BITTERN. 



ARDEA MINUTA Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. xn, i, p. 240 (1766 Helvetia, 



Aleppo. Restricted typical locality : Switzerland). 



Ardetta niinuta (Linnaeus), Yarrell, iv, p. 200 ; Saunders, p. 381. 



DISTRIBUTION. British Isles. Vagrant. England and Wales. 

 Recorded nearly every county, most frequently south and east 

 counties, rarer Wales and west, and north of Yorks. Probably 

 bred Norfolk within last forty years. Scotland. Rare, but has 

 occurred as far north as Orkneys and Shetlands, though not 

 O. Hebrides. Ireland. About thirty, chiefly south and east and 

 only one Connaught. 



DISTRIBUTION. Abroad. Central and south Europe, south of about 

 60 north lat., east to central Asia, south to Himalayas, Kashmir, 

 North-west Provinces of India and Sind ; in winter in Africa, and 

 (not common) parts of India. 



BOTAURUS STELLARIS 



268. Botaurus stellaris stellaris (L.) THE BITTERN. 



ARDEA STELLARIS Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 144 (1758 Europe. 



Restricted typical locality : Sweden). 



Botaurus stellaris (Linnaeus), Yarrell, iv, p. 206 ; Saunders, p. 383. 



DISTRIBUTION. British Isles. Winter-visitor chiefly, but often 

 also in summer. Used to breed regularly in many places England, 



* The generic name Ixobryclins Billberg, 1828, has priority over Ardetta 

 Gray, 1842. (See Journal /ur Ornithologie, 1906, p. 533.) E.H. 



