72 



ALTUICIAI- (JIJAI.LATOUES— IIKUOUIONES. 



Com. Char. Pruviiiliii},' culnr rKliriiccoiis, ilarker iibove mitl jmlfr K-low. rileum willi a loii- 

 Hiliiiliiml HiHue ol" lilack ; iiii iiiiiim.iiLilf imk-iDloivtl tiivii coVL-riiiji wiiij,'-covi'rts ; lidiit of iiuck 

 iinlisliiiclly stiiped l..iij,'iui(liiiiilly with ii tlttinT sliuilf, iiiioii u wliitiMh >,'ioiiii(l. Rtiiiigw iiml 

 rer.trici's iiiiironii dusky, with or witlmul uilinuiMUis tiiis, 



A. Lower pitrt «/ lihiit ludnl all rouiul ; jtpjur jKirls marly uniform brown, or brown and blud-, 

 villiiint ri)nii]ticii(iii.i sirijns. 



1. A. minuta.> lU'iiiigi;^ unilorm liliick. Wiiife', G.SO-.I.UO ; culiufii, 1.7t>-1.75. Huh. Vi\\x- 



urctic Hi'jjiuii. 



2. A. exilis. Hcnii;,'M iimrowly tippi-tl witli ruloiis. Wing, 4.30-5.:i5 ; culiufu, 1.00-1.90. 



Hah. Xortli, Middle, ami iiortiiiin Suutli Aiiii'iica. 

 B> Lower }Hirt i>/ tihia fatthtnil in Jmnt. I'jipir parU conniiicuouslij striped with black and 

 orhraceitnit. 



3. A. involuciis.'' Hiniij,'c.s broadly X\\>\>vt\ with nifoiis. Wiii},', 4.a5 ; culiiien, 2.00. Hah. 



iSuutliL-iii South Aiut'iica. 



Ardetta exilis- 



THE AMEBICAN LEAST BITTEBN. 



Little Bittern, Picsn. Airt. Zool. 11. 1785, V,,-\ no. 3r.ii (part). 



Minute liittern. La ill. Syiiop. 111. 1785, CtJ (.laiuaica ; ^ 9 '"I)' 



Ardca ej-ilis, (!mki.. S. N. 1. ii. 17»8, (!45, no. 8:! (Imsfd on liic .Miiutti liittern of I.ATII. I.e.). — Wll..s. 



Am. Oiii, VIM. 1814. ;!7, pi. iW'., lig. I. — Ni n. Man. II. 1M)4, Hi;. - Aid. Orii. Biog. 111. 



1835, 77 ; V. 18;!it, tllK!. jil. '.'10 ; Synop. 1,h:W, 'Jti;! ; ISirds Am. VI. 184;i, Ino, pi. 3t!»5. 

 Ardetta ej-il in, CrsiH,. J. f. O. l»5t;, 345. - 1!aii!1>, 1!. N. Am. 1858, r.73 ; Cat. N.Am. Ii. 185i», 



no. 491. — Hiliow. Noin. N. Am. IJ. 1881, no. 4l>8. — Coik.s, Chuck List, 'Jd ud. 1882, no. tiii7. 

 1 Ardea sjiadieea, (l.MK.I.. t.i\ till (liritliciiow). 



Hah. Tilt' whole of tciiipi'iatc Noiih Aiucripa, north to tin- Briti.-ih Provinces ; West Il«lit'^', 

 Middh- Anu-rica, and iiortlu-iii South Aimrica, to iira/.il. IScrnimlas, 



Si'. Chau. Ailnlt ni'ile : I'iluuni, imluding slight oci-ipital iivsl, with entire Imek, scapidars, 

 rump ami tail, ghissy greenish lilack, the outer weln of IJie outer row of scai)ulart edged with 

 pale Imlf, foriuing a narrow longitudinal stripe. Sides of the head and neck liright ochraeeoiis, 

 deepening into reddish chestnut on the impe ; chin, throat, and foivneck ]>aler, the tirsl sonietinies 

 whitish, with a nieilial series of dusky and yellowish-lnilf daslies ; the foreiieck and Jugulum 

 faintly strii>ed with white and pale oiange-ltutf, the lalli'r predominating ; on each side the Ineast 

 a ]iatch of maroon-dusky, the feathers tijiped with ])aler and sufl'iiseil with Mackish, forming tul't'^ 

 of li'ige loose feathers, partly concealed liy the large feathers of the jugulum ; lowi'r parts whitish, 

 washeil with pule creaniy-Viulf. Carpal region, givater wing-covcits, lower webs of lertials ami 



' AltliKrrA MINI'TA. 



Arden minuta, Linn. .S. \. 1. 17ilii, 240, - Naum. Vog. Ueutschl. IX. 1838, 1!I4, pi. 227. — (il!AY, 



lien. H. III. 5.5t!; Cut. Brit. U. 18t!3. 148. 

 Jliitiinnis mhnitns, Bon:, Isis, 1822, 550. 

 Aitbola miiintii, Bonai'. Coiis]i. l.i.st, 1838, 48. 

 Ardeii diinuhiiilin, liMKI.. .><. N. I. 1788, 1)37. 

 Ardea .Holonienni's, (1mi;i,. 1. c. 

 Bulaurua pitailliis, Bkkii.m, Vii({. Duutscld. .'»98. 



* AlinETrA ISVoi.IcKIs. 



Ardeu invidiicris, ViKll.l.. Kiic Mclli. 1823, 1127. 



Ardetia invohwris, Sti.. k S\\.\. P. /. S. IHtJ'i. (!34. 



1 Ardea enithromehut, ViKII.l.. Knc. Mclli. 1121 (ba.sed on flann mxn v neqrrt. AzAllA, Apunt. 



III. 182). 

 Anleidii eriitlirmiieliin, BonaI'. Coiisp. II. 1855, 134. 

 Ardea farie(jala, ViKIl.l.. t.c. 1127 (liased on (iar:a varia, Azaua). 



