856 Birds of Celebes: Ardeidae. 



middle toe as long or longer than the second joint, whereas in A. sinensis the 

 first joint is very short, being only about two-thirds the length of the second 

 joint. A. sinensis has been seen by Legge to perch on a perpendicular reed- 

 stalk, in exactly the same manner as an ordinary Passerine bird. 



Dr. Sharpe recognises 9 species of the genus Ardetta (25). In the "Water 

 Birds of N. America" (I, 71) the author of the article Ardetta remarks that he can 

 find no difference in form or proportions between Botmirus and Ardetta. Prof. 

 Reichenow (d 1) points out that the plumage sits more smoothly in Ardetta 

 than in the true Bittern; neither have any decorative plumes, and they agree in 

 having the inner toe longer than the outer, and 10 tail-feathers. A few differ- 

 ences might have been mentioned: the tarsus of the Common Bittern, Botawiis 

 stellaris, is covered behind with small reticulate scales, in Ardetta it is scutellated, 

 though somewhat irregularly ; the legs of Botaurus are shorter, but particularly 

 the bill, Avhen compared with the wing-length, the wing of the Common Bittern 

 being nearly 5 times the length of the exposed culmen, while in Ardetta it is 

 about 3 times this length. The plumage of the Common Bittern is "broken up" 

 in pattern as if for concealment and has the soft glossless character of a noc- 

 turnal bird, that of typical Ardetta is of a diurnal type, as seen in the defined 

 pattern of coloration, and its brighter, closer fitting dress. 



^363. ARDETTA EURHYTHMA Swinh. 

 SchrenCk's Little Bittern. 

 Plate XLV. 



a. Ardea (Ardeola) cinnamomea (I) Schrenck (nee Gm.), Reis. Amiirlande 1858, 11, 447, 

 t. Xni, f. 3 (juv.). 



Ardetta eurhythma (1) Swinhoe, Ibis 1873, 73; (2) id., Ibis 1875, 132, 455; (3) id., Ibis 

 I87G, 335; (4) Blak. & Pryer, Ibis 1878, 223; (5) iid., Tr. As. Soc. Jap. 1880, 

 Vin, 199; (6) Sharpe, Ibis 1879, 271; (7) Bolau, J. f. 0. 1881, 62; (8) Blak. 

 & Pryer, Tr. As. Soc. Jap. 1882, X, 118; (9) Blak., Amend. List B.Jap. 1884, 

 12; (10) Stejn., Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. 1887, X, 291; (11) Dorries, J. f. O. 1888, 91; 

 (12) De La Touche, Ibis 1892, 489. 



h. Ardetta eurythma (I) Swinh., Ibis 1873, 74, pi. H; (2) Cab., J. f. O. 1874, 325 (note); (3) 

 Tacz., J. f. O. 1875, 256; (4) id., Bidl. Soc. Zool. Fr. 1876, 259; (V) David & 

 Oust., Ois. Chine 1877, 447, pi. 119; (6) Tacz., Bull. Soc. Zool. Fr. 1878, 140; 

 (7) id., J. f. O. 1881, 188; (8) id.. Bull. Soc. Zool. Fr. 1885, 476; (9) Everett, 

 J. Str. Br. R A. S. 1889, 190; (10) Styan, Ibis 1S91, 327, 493; (11] Tacz., Faun. 

 Om. Sib. Orient. 1893, H, 989; (12) Sharpe, Ibis 1894, 426; (13) M.. &Wg., Ahh. 

 Mus. Dresd. 1895, Nr. 8, p. 19; (14) iid., ib. 1896, Nr. 1, p. 6. 



c. Ardetta sinensis (1) Tacz. (nee Gm.), J. f. O. 1874, 325. 



d. Botaurus eurhythmus (1) Rehnw., J. f. O. 1877, 245; (2) Seeb., B. Japan 1890, 227. 



e. Ardetta riedeli (1) Meyer & Wiglesw., Abh. Mus. Dresd. 1894—95, Nr. 4, p. 2; (2) 



Sharpe, Bull. B. 0. C. 1895, XXXI, 5; Ibis 1896, 256. 



f. Nannocnus eurythma (1) Sharpe, Bull. B. 0. C. 1895, XXXI, 5; Ibis 1896, 256; (2) 



id., Cat. B. 1898, XXVI, 242. 



