259 



ABDETTA MINUTA. 



(LITTLE BITTERN.) 



The Little Brown Bittern, Edw. Gleanings, part ii. pp. 135, 275. 



Ardea ardeola, Briss. Orn. v. p. 497, pi. xl. fig. 1 (1760). 



Ardea ardeola ncevia, Briss. Orn. v. p. 500, pi. xl. fig. 2 (1760). 



Ardea minuta, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 240 (1766). 



Le Blongios, Bun . Hist. Nat. Ois. vii. p. 395 (1780). 



1 Ardea danubialis, Gmel. Syst. Nat. i. p. 637 (1788). 



t.Ardea soloniensis, Gmel. Syst. Nat. i. p. 637 (1788). 



Botaurus minuta (L.), Boie, Isis, 1822, p. 559. 



Cancrophagus, Kaup [Ardea ralloides et minuta), Naturl. Syst. p. 42 (1829). 



Botaurus pitsillus, C. L. Brehm, Vog. Deutschl. p. 598 (1831). 



Butor minutus (L.), Swains. Classif. of Birds, ii. p. 354 (1837). 



Ardeola minuta (L.), Bp. Comp. List, p. 48 (1838). 



Ardetta minuta (L.), G. B. Gray, List of Gen. of B. Appendix, p. 13 (1842). 



Ardeola pusilla, L. Brehm, Naumannia, 1855, p. 290. 



Heron blongios, French ; Garga pequena, Portuguese ; Cangrejerita, Spanish ; Tarabusino, 

 Italian ; Blongios, Maltese ; kleiner Bohrdommel, Zwergrohrdommel, German ; Woudaajyje 

 Dutch ; Lvcerghejre, Bvasrg-rbrdrum, Danish ; Bverg Bordrum, Swedish. 



Figurce notabiles. 



Werner, Atlas, Coureurs, pi. 29 ; Kjserb. Orn. Dan. taf. 32, Suppl. taf. 14 ; Frisch, Vog. 

 Deutschl. taf. 207; Fritsch, Vog. Eur. taf. 37. figs. 3, 4, 5; Naumann, Vog. Deutschl. 

 taf. 227 ; Sundevall, Svensk. Fogl. pi. 76. figs. 1, 2 ; Gould, B. of Eur. pi. 282 ; id. B. of 

 G. Brit. iv. pi. 29; Schlegel, Vog. Nederl. pis. 196, 197; Bettoni, Ucc. Lomb. pi. 3. 



J ad. pileo, clorso, cauda, et scapularibus nigris viridi nitentibus, capitis lateribus et collo cinereis vinaceo 

 tinctis : remigibus nigris purpureo nitentibus : tectricibus alarum majoribus cseruleo-cinereis vix 

 ochraceo tinctis, medjis et minoribus ochraceis : corpore subtus ochraceo, juguli plumis elongatis, 

 rostro et pedibus viridi-flavis : iride et loris nudis flavis. 



2 ad. pileo nigro vix fusco tincto, capitis lateribus cum collo lateraliter et postico rufescentibus : dorso et 

 scapularibus saturate castaneo-fuscis, plumis ochraceo marginatis : cauda nigra viridi nitente : remi- 

 gibus saturate fuscis : tectricibus alarum ochraceis, plaga magna castanea notatis : mento albo, linea. 

 centrali ochracea, notato : corpore subtus ochraceo, albido striata. 



Adult Male (Malta, May). Crown, back, tail, and scapulars black glossed with bottle-green ; sides of the 

 head, neck, and hind neck dull French grey tinged with vinous : quills black with a purplish tinge ; 

 larger wing-coverts dove-blue tinged with ochreous, median and lesser coverts warm ochreous ; under- 



5y 2 



