Birds of Celebes: Ardeidae. 



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4361. BUTORIDES JAVANICA (Horsf.). 

 Little Grey Bittern. 



The Little Grey Bittern, described first by Horsfield from Java in 1821 

 (Tr. L. S. Xin, 190), may, apparently, best be treated as a single species of 

 wide range, inhabiting the countries from S. E. Siberia and India to Australia 

 and some of the islands of the Indian and Pacific Oceans, but within this 

 broad area it varies locally to an appreciable degree. The differences are not 

 great, and the northern birds also migrate in winter into some of the quarters 

 of the southern forms, so that it may sometimes be exceedingly difficult to know 

 whether we have to do with a resident example or with a northern visitor. A 

 race of large size inhabits Siberia and Japan, migrating through China down 

 to the Philippines (Palawan — Everett, Ibis 1895, 38) and Labuan, and in- 

 vestigation is almost sure to prove that it goes further; this form was named 

 var. amurensis by v. Schrenck. Gould recognised two forms in Australia, 

 which he called Ardetta macrorhyncha and stagnatilis but the former seems to be 

 simply stagnatilis in immature dress. Hodgson called the Indian bird chloriceps, 

 Peale that found by him in Tahiti patruelis. Dr. Sharpe, who, with the col- 

 lections of the British Museum, should best be able to form a sound opinion on 

 the matter, recognises (Ibis 1894, 295, 296) four races with the following ranges: 

 B. javanica: India and Ceylon east to Southern China, and south throughout 



the Burmese countries to the Malayan Peninsula and the Indo-Malayan 



Islands as far as Celebes. 

 B. amurensis (Schrenck), subsp.: Amurland and the Japanese Islands south 



to Southern China, Formosa, the Philippine Islands and Labuan. 

 B. spodiogaster Sharpe, subsp.: Andaman and Nicobar Islands. 

 B. stagnatilis Gld., subsp.: N. & E. Australia to New Guinea and throughout 



the Moluccas to Timor and Flores, eastwards to the Solomon Group, 



New Caledonia, the Fiji, Society and Friendly (?) Islands. 

 So far as we can judge, Sharpe is fully justified in making these sub- 

 divisions: B. amurensis ordinarily has the wing 10 — 30 mm longer than in the 

 typical form ; B. stagnatilis is much more rufous brown on the cheeks, throat 

 and under parts; while B. spodiogaster is said to be much darker leaden grey in 

 colour than the ty|)ical javanica. But, if closer examination be made, there can 

 be little doubt that resident birds will be found to differ in many localities; 

 for instance, the North Celebesian examples before us are not quite identical 

 with the typical form from Java, being more slaty and less green on the crest 

 and upper surface. 



The following references bear upon the occurrence of the species in Celebes: 



a. Ardea scapularis (Ij S. Mull., Reizen Ind. Archip. 1858, pt. IE, 15, 65 (note). 



b. Ardea javanica (Ij Schl., Mus. P.-B., Ardeae, 1863,44; (2) Finsch, Neu Guinea 1865, 



183; (3) Finsch & Hartl., Oni. Oentralpol. 1867, 210; (4) Briiggem., Abh. Ver. Brem. 

 1876, V, 97; (5) Rosenb., Malay. Archip. 1878, 278. 



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