DUPETOIl. 403 



a wash of ashy grey on the crown, and. the tint of chestnut on the 

 upper parts varies. 



Females are dull chestnut or brown above ; crown blackish ; 

 wing-coverts and scapulars paler, and with traces of buff margins, 

 spotted with brown ; quills chestnut, with some brown towards 

 the base ; tail-feathers dull chestnnt ; sides of head dull rufous ; 

 lower parts yellowish tawny, streaked with dark brown; a con- 

 spicuous dark broken band down the chin, throat, and fore neck. 



Young birds resemble the female, except in having the back- 

 feathers, scapulars, and wing-coverts dark brown, with margins of 

 alternating buff and brown spots. 



Bill yellow ; culmen dark brown to black ; facial skin reddish 

 purple in males, yellow in females ; irides yellow to pale red ; legs 

 and feet yellowish green, soles yellow. 



Length 15 ; tail T7 ; wing 6 ; tarsus 2 ; bill from gape 2-6. 



Distribution. China as far as the Amur, but not Japan ; thence to 

 Sind in one direction, and the Philippines and Celebes in another. 

 This Bittern, though local, is more generally distributed in India 

 and Ceylon than A. sinensis, but is only known to be found in 

 Sind, Eajputana, and the North-west Provinces during the monsoon, 

 It is common in Lower Bengal, Assam, and Burma, and has been 

 obtained in both the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. 



Habits, $c. The Chestnut Bittern breeds in Bengal, Pegu, and 

 Ceylon, and probably in Sind, in June, July, and August. The 

 eggs, 5 or 6 in number, are dull white, sometimes with a faint 

 bluish tinge, and measure about 1/28 by 1. 



Genus DUPETOR, Heine & Eeichen., 1890. 



This genus is distinguished from Ardetta by its longer bill, the 

 culmen considerably exceeding the middle toe with its claw in 

 length, the tarsus being slightly shorter still. The back of the 

 neck is less conspicuously nude. The members of the present genus 

 are considerably larger birds than Ardetta, and have very different 

 plumage; but they are not, as is often stated, distinguished by 

 having the tibia partly naked, for Ardetta cinnamomea resembles 

 them in that respect. The generic name Ardeiralla, sometimes 

 used for the Black Bittern, belongs to a very distinct form, peculiar 

 to Africa. 



Four species from the Oriental and Australian regions are referred 

 to the genus Dupetor, but only one is Indian. 



1573. Dupetor flavicollis. The Black Bittern. 



Ardea flavicollis, Lath. Ind. Orn. ii, p. 701 (1790) ; Jerdon, HI. Ind. 



Orn. pi. 16; Hume, N. $ E. p. 621. 

 Ardetta flavicollis, Blytli, Cat. p. 282 ; Jerdon, B. I. iii, p. 753 ; 



Godw-Aust. J. A.8.B. xxxix, pt. 2, p. 274; Hume fy Oates, S. F. 



iii, p. 191 ; Hume $ Dav. S. F. vi, p. 483 Cripps, S. F. vii, p. 308 



2D2 



