THE LITTLE BITTERN. 159 



Several examples of this species have been killed at various 

 times in England, chiefly in the southern and eastern counties ; 

 but not one has yet been observed so far north as Scotland.* Like 

 the three species of Ardea already noticed (A. garzetta, A. alba, and 

 A. russata), this bird is a native of more southern climates than the 

 British Islands, though occasionally wandering so far north. The 

 squacco heron chiefly frequents the warmer parts of eastern Europe 

 and western Asia — also the north of Africa, f 



THE LITTLE BITTERN, 



Little Heron. 



Botaunis minutus, Linn, (sp.) 

 Ardea minuta „ 



Is a very rare visitant. 



The first individual of this species killed in Ireland, that came 

 under my observation (as recorded in the Proceedings of the 

 Zoological Society for 1834, p. 30) was an immature bird — in 

 the plumage of the young after the first moult, according to Mr. 

 Selby's description. It was shot in the county of Armagh in 

 November 1830, and sent to my friend, William Sinclaire, Esq. of 

 Belfast, who preserved it for his collection. An intelligent sports- 

 man, on seeing tins specimen, assured us that a bird which he had 

 observed in spring some years before at the bog-meadows, near Bel- 

 fast, was of the same species. He described it as rising from the 

 ground almost perpendicularly when sprung, and descending again 

 in a similar manner. Another gentleman, who saw the specimen in 

 1833, at once recognised it as identical in species with a bird 

 which he had shot a year or two previously in the county of 

 Kerry. Mr. T. W. Warren, of Dublin, possesses an Ardea minuta, 

 which was shot about the year 1833 in the county of Longford. 



* Jardine. t Schlegel. 



