ARDETTA. 181 



ARDETTA. 



Ardetta, Gray, List Gen. Birds, 1842, App. p. 13 ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxvi. p. 221 (1898). 



This genus is nearly cosmopolitan in its distribution, being found over the entire 

 temperate and tropical portions of the globe. It belongs to the section of the true 

 Bitterns by reason of its ten tail-feathers, and in style of plumage seems to form an 

 intermediate link between the Bitterns {Botaurus) and the Old World Egrets {Ardeola). 

 The bill is serrated, and the tarsus somewhat short, and about equal in length to the 

 middle toe and claw. The hinder part of the neck is bare or only scantily clothed with 

 downy plumes, and it is not concealed by a large frill, as is the case with many of the 

 Bitterns. The tibio-tarsus is feathered down to the tarsal joint. There is considerable 

 difference in the colour of the sexes of all the species of Ardetta, excepting in 

 A. involuci'is of South America, in which the sexes are alike. 



Eight species of this genus are known, of which one is found within our limits. 



1. Ardetta exiHs. 



Ardea exilis, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 645 ' ; Herrera, La Nat. (2) i. pp. 185 ', 327 '. 



Ardetta exilis, Gray, List Grallse Brit. Mus. p. 38 * ; Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. viii. p. 12 ' ; Mem. 



Bost. Soc. N. H. ii. p. 310 " ; Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. no. 4, p. 49 ' ; Salv. Ibis, 1866, p. 196 ' ; 



Cat. Strickl. Coll. p. 519' j Sumichr. La Nat. v. p. 233"; Jouy, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. xvi. 



p. 788 '^ A. O. U. Check-1. N. Amer. Birds, 2nd ed. p. 70 "; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. 



xxvi. p. 231 ". 

 Botaurus exilis, Ferrari-Perez, Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. ix. p. 170"; Stone, Pr. Acad. PMlad. 1890, 



p. 217". 



Supra nigra, viridi nitens ; Cauda quoque nigra ; tecfcricibus alarum pallide oehraceis, minimis margiaalibus 

 castaneis, majoribus cinnamomeis ; remigibus cinerascenti-brunneis, cinnamomeo terminatis ; secundariis 

 intimis castaneis, intus cineraceis ; pileo vix cristate viridi-nigro ; facie laterali et colli lateribus saturate 

 oehraceis, his utrinque laete castaneis ; linea superciliari et fascia parva ad basin mandibula castaneis ; 

 gutture medio et corpore subtus cinnamomeo-ftdvis, illo vix rufescente, lateraliter albido ; tibiis 

 ochrascenti-rufis ; pectoris lateribus nigris, plumis ochraceo marginatis ; subalaribus albidis ; remigibus 

 infra pallide sehistaceis : rostro olivascenti-brunneo, maxillae tomiis et mandibula pallide flavis ; plaga 

 lorali nuda flava ; pedibus viridescenti-flavis ; iride flava. Long, tota circa 11-0, alas 4-8, caudae 1-7, 

 culm. 1'8, tarsi 1*6. (Descr. maris adulti ex Atitlan, Guatemala. Mus. nostr.) 



Ptil. Mem. ptilosi sestivae simdis, sed Isetior, collo clarius castaneo ; scapularibus rufo vel ochraceo marginatis. 



5 ad. Supra brunnescenti-castanea, scapularibus ochraceo-fulvo marginatis ; gutture medio pallide ochraceo, 

 nigro striolatim variegate, guise lateribus albis ; pectore laterali nigro, plumis ochraceo marginatis ; corpore 

 reliquo subtus pallide ochraceo, hypochondriis anguste nigro lineatis ; abdomine et subcaudaUbus albis. 

 Long, tota circa 11-0, alse 4-7. (Descr. feminffi adultae ex Atitlan, Guatemala. Mus. nostr.) 



Juv. Supra rufescenti-castanea, plumis singulis ochraceo marginatis ; pUeo nigro, rufo lavato ; collo tpostico 

 et laterali castaneo ; facie laterali et gutture siout in femina adulta notato, sed macuUs linearibus nigris 

 latioribus ; corpore reliquo subtus ochraceo, plumis medialiter nigro lineatis, abdomine et subcaudalibus 

 albis, ochraceo lineatis ; pectoris lateribus castaneis, hypochondriis saturate oehraceis, nigro striolatim 

 lineatis. (Descr. av. juv. ex Duerias. Mus. nostr.) 



JIab. Temperate North America, north to the British Provinces ^^. — Mexico {Say ^^), 

 Mazatlan (Grayson^), Valley of Mexico (Herrera^^), city of Mexico (Mwes^^), 

 Lake Patzcuaro {JBaJcer ^^, Jouy "), Laguna del Baltazar, Laguna de San Felipe 



