80 LEAST BITTERN. 



to the case, I leave for you to determine ; but, my opinion is, that the 

 animal truly deserving to be called stupid, yet remains to be discovered, 

 and that the quality designated by that epithet occurs nowhere else than 

 among the individuals of that species which so thoughtlessly applies the 

 opprobrium. 



Ardea exilis, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 308. 

 Least Bittern, Ahdea exius, Wils. Amer. Ornith. voL viii. p. 37- pi. fiS. fig- 4. — 

 Nvitail, Manual, voL IL p. 66. 



Adult Male. Plate CCX. Fig. 1. 



Bill longer than the head, slender, straight, tapering to a point, deeper 

 than broad at the base, compressed towards the end. Upper mandible with 

 its dorsal line almost straight, the ridge broad and rather rounded at the 

 base, narrowed towards the end, the sides sloping, the edges very sharp, 

 the tip acute. Nasal groove long; nostrils basal, linear, longitudinal. 

 Lower mandible with the angle very long and narrow, the dorsal line 

 sloping upwards, the sides nearly flat, the edges sharp and inflected, the 

 tip very acute. 



Head oblong, much compressed. Neck long. Body very slender, 

 much compressed. Feet long, rather robust ; tibia nearly entirely fea- 

 thered ; tarsi covered anteriorly with broad oblique scutella ; toes scutel- 

 late above ; hind toe stout, second and fourth nearly equal, third much 

 longer ; claws long, slender, arched, compressed, acute, that of middle toe 

 serrated on the inner edge. 



Eyelids and a large space before and beneath the eye, bare. Plumage 

 soft, blended ; feathers of the hind head elongated, as are those of the 

 neck generally, but especially of its lower part anteriorly. Wings short, 

 broad, rounded, the second quiU longest. Tail very short, rounded, of 

 twelve feathers. 



Bill dark olive-brown above, edges of upper mandible and bare fron- 

 tal space yellow ; lower mandible pale yellow, inclining to flesh colour. 

 Iris yellow. Feet dull greenish-yellow, claws brown. Upper part of the 

 head, and the back, greenish-black and glossy ; sides of the head and 

 hind part of neck, brownish-red or light chestnut; wing-coverts pale 

 greyish-brown, quills purplish-grey, tipped with yellowish-brown, the in- 

 ner secondaries broadly margined with light chestnut, of which colour 

 also are the secondary coverts and the edge of the wing at the flexure ; 



