420 LEAST BITTERN 



may walk over them in perfect safety, but the smaller ones sink beneath the weight of a 

 man, so that it is not safe to venture on them. These isolated spots of land are the chosen 

 resort of the American Bitterns and here they build their nests of sticks, placing them on 

 the ground amid the luxuriant grass, often but a few inches above the level of the water. 

 The birds are not particularly shy when sitting, and I have often walked within a few feet 

 of them, before they would rise; and upon one occasion, when one had her nest on one of 

 the smaller islands, where the surface sunk beneath my weight for some distance around, 

 the bird clung to her abode, even after it was submerged. This was about the first week 

 in June, and I found from three to six fresh eggs, but in Massachusetts, where they build 

 on a bog in wet meadows, they lay a little earlier than this; and from observations made 

 in Florida, although I never found an egg, I am inclined to think that these birds breed 

 early in March. During summer, these Bitterns are not found very commonly on the sea- 

 shore, but in autumn, I have frequently shot them on the salt marshes, and at this season, 

 they are very fat. This species is migratory, but some linger until very late, and I have 

 started them from beside an open spring, late in November, when the ground was covered 

 with snow. Bitterns appear to be subject to some peculiar disease which causes the skin 

 of the neck to become greatly thickened, when it hangs in loose folds. During the past 

 summer, Mr Outram Bangs called my attention to the fact, that when the Bitterns alight in 

 the tall grass, they pull down a quantity, thus forming a perch upon which they sit. 



GENUS IV. ARDETTA. THE LITTLE BITTERNS. 



GEN. Cii. Bill, quite short and acutely pointed. Leys and toes, not very long. Tail feathers, either eiyht or ten, not 

 stiffened. Head provided with sliyhtly lengthened 'feathers. 



Members of this genus are very small, with the lower neck behind destitute of feathers, butthose onthesidesand front 

 are elongated. There is but one species within our limits. Sexes, not similar. 



ABDETTA EXLLIS. 



Least Bittern. 



Ardetta exilis GRAY., Gen. Birds; 1849. 

 DESCRIPTION. 



SP. CH. Form, slender. Size, very small. Tongue, wide at base, long, and tapering gradually toward tip which 

 is horny and pointed. 



COLOR. Adult male. Top of head, back, and tail, black, glossed with green. Wings, brown, with outer edge of in- 

 ner secondaries, tips of all and of the greater coverts, sides of neck and stripe on sidesof head next the black, ohestnut-rol. 

 Upper wing coverts, neck, and under surface, buffy-yellow, mixed with white. Spot on side of breast, brown. Iris, na- 

 ked space about head, bill, and feet, yellow. 



Adult female.. Similar to the male but the black of the back is replaced by brown and the yellow is overwashed with 

 ashy and streaked with brown, 



Youny of the year. Similar to the adult female, but is mottled with reddish and yellowish above. In the last two 

 stages, the top of the upper mandible is brown. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Readily known by the small size, and colors as described. Florida birds have only eight tail feathers, whereas those 

 from the North have ten. Distributed, in summer, from Massachusetts, southward; wintering in Florida. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of specimens from Florida. Length, 13-2S; stretch, lfi'75; wing, 4'S5; tail, 1-70; bill, I -85; tar- 

 sus, 1-75. Longest specimen, 13-50; greatest extent of wing, 17-50; longest wing, 5'00; tail. 1-75; bill, 1'90; tarsus, 1 80. 

 Shortest specimen, 13'00; smallest extent of wing, 16'00; shortest wing, 4'75; tail, 1 B5; bill, 1'75; tarsus, 1-70. 



DESCRIFHON OF NESTS AND KGGS. 



Nests, placed in tops of grass or bushes, composed of sticks, weeds, and gra-w. Eyys, from three to four in nunilier, 

 elliptical in form, pale blue in color, unspotted. Dimensions from ''J5x 1-25 to l-0()xl 30. 



