578 ARDETTA BOTAURUS 



806. SCHRENCK'S LITTLE BITTERN. 

 ARDETTA EURYTHMA. 



Ardetta euryth/na, Swinh. Ibis, 1873, p. 74, pi. ii. ; David and Oust. Ois. 

 Chine, p. 447, pi. 119 ; (Seebohm), B. Jap. Emp. p. 227 ; (Sharpe), 

 Cat. B. Br. Mus. xxvi. p. 242 ; Tacz. F. 0. Sib. 0. p. 989 ; A. 

 cinnamomea (nee. Gmel.), (Schrenck), Keis. Amurl. Taf. xiii. fig. 3 ; 

 (Radde), Eeis. im. Siid. Ost. Sib. ii. p. 344. 



Yoshi-goi, Jap. 



$ ad. (Japan). Crown, hind-neck, back, scapulars, and inner second- 

 aries rich dark chestnut, the crown darker and slightly washed with grey ; 

 quills dull slaty grey ; wing-coverts buffy ochreous, the edge of the wing 

 and the tail deep chestnut ; chin and throat white, tinged with isabeiline, 

 and with a dark central line ; rest of under parts creamy buff ; pectoral 

 feathers elongated, and concealing feathers blackish, margined with ochre- 

 ous ; bill blackish brown above, yellowish brown below ; orbital skin 

 purplish flesh, tinged with green ; legs grass-green, yellow near the tarso- 

 tibial joint, and on the soles; iris straw colour. Culmen 2*0, wing 5'5, 

 tail TG5, tarsus 2*1 inch. The female differs in having the head, neck, 

 and upper parts rich chocolate-red, spotted with creamy white, and the 

 under parts isabeiline, striped with warm chocolate-red and blackish 

 brown. 



Hob* Eastern Siberia (southern Dauria, the lower Amoor, 

 the mouth of the Ussuri river, and the island of Askold) Japan ; 

 China to Borneo and Celebes. 



In general habits and nidification it does not differ from 

 A. cinnamomea, with which it was confused by the earlier 

 Siberian travellers. Its eggs from Dauria are described as 

 being white, almost elliptical in shape, and measure about 

 1:30 by 1-06. 



Ardetta sturmi (Wagl) which inhabits the greater part of 

 Africa is said to have occurred in the Pyrenees, but I find no 

 authentic instance of its occurrence within our limits except 

 that of one individual at Laguna in the Canaries, and con- 

 sequently do not include it. 



BOTAURUS, Briss., 1760. 



807. BITTERN. 

 BOTAURUS STELLARIS. 



Botaurus stellaris (Linn.), Syst. Nat. i. p. 239 ; (Naum.), ix. p. 159, Taf. 

 226 ; Hewitson, ii. p. 317, p. Ixxxiv. figs. 1, 2 ; Gould, B. of E. iv. 

 pi. 280 ; id. B. of Gt. Brit. iv. pi. 27 ; Dresser, vi. p. 281, pi. 403 ; 



