BOTAURUS. 127 



on side of neck; lower parts nearly immaculate; wing 10.10, culmen 

 3.25, tarsus 3.75, middle toe 3.75. Hob. Tropical America, north to 

 Nicaragua. 



B. pinnatus (WAGL.). South American Bittern. 1 



a 2 . Size very small (wing iess than 6.00) ; sexes more or less different in color (ex- 

 cept in A. involucris f), and young appreciably different from adults. (Sub- 

 genus Ardetta Gray.) 



b l . Upper parts not conspicuously striped ; adult males with top of head, 

 back, scapulars, rump, and tail uniform glossy black. 



c 1 . Quills tipped with cinnamon-rufous, or pale cinnamon ; adult male with 

 a distinct narrow stripe of buff along each side of back. 

 Adult male : Sides of head and neck ochraceous, deepening into 

 chestnut on hind-neck ; chin, throat, and fore-neck whitish, 

 striped with pale buff; central portion of wing-covert region 

 buff, surrounded by cinnamon-rufous ; lower parts buff-whitish. 

 Adult female : Similar to the male, but black replaced by brown, 

 and scapular stripes much broader. Young : Similar to adult 

 female, but feathers of back and scapulars tipped with buff. 

 Length 12.00-14.25, wing 4.30-5.25, culmen 1.60-1.90, tarsus 

 1.50-1.75, middle toe 1.40-1.60. Eggs 1.20 X -93, white, or 

 greenish white. Hob. Whole of temperate North America, and 

 tropical America south to Brazil. 



191. B. exilis (GMEL.). Least Bittern. 

 c 2 , Quills without rufous or cinnamon tips ; adult males without trace of 



lighter stripe along sides of back. 



d l . Adult male: Lower tail-coverts dull black; wing-coverts rich 

 chestnut ; neck similar, the lower parts more rufous ; length 

 (skin) 10.80, wing 4.30, culmen 1.80, tarsus 1.40. Hab. Southern 

 Florida (Caloosahatchie River ; near Lake Okeechobee). 



. B. neoxenus (CORY). Cory's least Bittern. 2 



d 2 . Adult male : Lower tail-coverts white ; wing-coverts pale grayish 

 buff, becoming nearly white on greater coverts ; neck similar, 

 but darker and more tinged with buff; lower parts pale buffy, 

 becoming white medially and posteriorly. Adult female : Back, 

 scapulars, and rump umber-brown, streaked narrowly with 

 buffy (except on lower back and rump) ; rest of plumage much 

 as in adult male, but more decidedly buffy, the fore-neck con- 

 spicuously striped, the sides, etc., more narrowly striped, or 

 streaked. Length about 12.00-13.00, wing 5.50-5.80, culmen 

 1.75-1,85, tarsus 1.60-1.70. Hab. Europe, etc. 



B. minutus (LiNN.). European Least Bittern.s 

 b*. Upper parts conspicuously striped with black and ochraceous ; quills broadly 



1 Ardea pinnata "LiCHT." WAGL., Isis, 1829, 663. Botaurus pinnatus GRAY, Gen. B. iii. 1847, 557. 



4 Ardetta neoxena CORY, Auk, iii. April, 1886, 262 ; ib. July, 1886, 408. 



8 Ardea minuta Lixsr., S, N. ed. 12, 1. 1766, 240. Botaurus mintUu* BOIE, Isis, 1822, 559. 



