90 LLOYD'S NATURAL HISTORY. 



distributed throughout Europe south of 60 N. lat., but is only 

 a summer visitor, and leaves even the Mediterranean countries 

 in winter. It is, however, resident in Northern Africa, Madeira, 

 and the Azores. It visits Egypt and North-eastern Africa in 

 winter, and that it goes still farther south, I firmly believe, 

 though it is difficult to prove its African range. A specimen 

 from Benguela, however, collected by the late Mr. Monteiro, 

 appears to me to be the true Ardetta minuta, but Africa gener- 

 ally is inhabited by an allied species, Ardetta podicipes> which 

 differs from the European form in having the wing-coverts 

 orange-buff, and the greater series lavender-grey, while the 

 neck-frill is bright chestnut instead of ochreous or ashy-fulvous 

 A further distinction in the African bird is the chestnut, in- 

 stead of dusky, patch on the lesser wing-coverts. 



To the eastward our Little Bittern extends to Cashmere and 

 the Eastern Narra district in Sind, in both of which localities it 

 breeds. It is also found, but rarely, in North-western India 

 in the winter, as the Hume collection contains examples of 

 the species from Delhi and Etawah. 



Habits. The Little Bittern is a skulking species, and is, 

 moreover, a night-feeder as a rule. In many of its ways it re- 

 sembles a Rail, as it threads its way through the reed-beds 

 with great swiftness. It will also sometimes be found in trees, 

 generally sitting quite still, with its bill pointing up in the air, 

 but it can move from branch to branch with great ease and 

 rapidity, and does the same in the reeds, to which it manages 

 to cling without difficulty when making its way from one to 

 another. 



Lord Lilford, who met with this species in Corfu and the 

 opposite mainland of Turkey during the first fortnight in April, 

 writes as follows : " For a few days after its arrival it may be 

 met with amongst the currant-vines, in the young green corn, 

 in gardens, among the rocks of the sea-shore, and often perched 

 in olive- or orange-trees at a considerable height from the 

 ground : from the actions cf my dogs I believe that when 

 these birds are disturbed in covert, they often sneak off in a 

 crouching attitude with long strides, after the manner of a 

 Rail, but quite as often, when closely approached, they behave 

 in the same way as the Common Bittern under the circum- 



