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ARDEA EXILIS— WILSON. 



LEAST BITTERN. 



Least Bittern, Ardea exilis, Wils. Amer. Orn. 

 Ardea exilis, Bonap. Syn. 

 Least Bittern, Ardea exilis, Nutt. Man. 

 Least Bittern, Ardea exilis, Aud. Orn. Biog. 



Specific Character — Bill slender, tapering to an acute point, 

 length from the corner of the mouth to the end two inches and an 

 eighth; the ridge of the upper mandible black, the sides and the 

 lower mandible yellow; length of tarsi one inch and three-eighths. 

 Adult male with the bill rather slender, yellow — the ridge black, 

 and sharply pointed ; the feathers on the upper and hind part of 

 the head rather long; crown greenish-black; sides of the head 

 and part of neck light chestnut ; back glossy greenish-black ; wing 

 coverts brownish-yellow; quills purplish-gray, tipped with yellow- 

 ish brown ; secondary coverts light chestnut ; inner secondaries 

 broadly margined with the same ; throat and fore neck reddish 

 white ; fore part of breast, under the elongated feathers, blackish 

 brown ; rest of the lower parts reddish-white ; tail feathers green- 

 ish black ; lower portion of tibia naked ; feet yellow. Length 

 thirteen inches, wing four and five-eighths. Female smaller, with 

 the plumage duller. 



This species — more common at the South — is during the summer 

 months distributed throughout the country. It is usually found 

 among the tall grass and reeds along the margins of fresh water 

 streams. A few have been procured on the salt meadows near 

 Babylon ; and on the Hanover meadows, near Pine Brook, New 

 Jersey, it is not uncommon. It is also occasionally shot along the 

 borders of the Hackensack River. A superb specimen that was 

 shot at Gowanus, a few miles from the city of Brooklyn, is now in 

 the possession of Mr. Brasher, who informs me that on the four- 



