A.EDBTTA. 257 



Ardetta minuta (Linn.). The Little Bittern. 



Aidetta minuta (Linn.), Jerd. B. Ind. ii, p. 756 ; Hume, Rough Braft 

 N.^B.no.dk. >t , , "y J 



The Little Bittern breeds in several parts of the Himalayas in 

 r ashy-bordered lakes and swamps, at elevations of from 3000 to 

 7000 feet. It also breeds in Sind. In Cashmere at the WuUur, 

 Anchar, and other lakes it breeds abundantly, and it also breeds, 

 I know, having found the nest there with young, near Syree 

 on the Simla Eoad. 



It lays in June. Four is the usual, and five the maximum, 

 number of eggs. It appears always to build in amongst rushes or 

 wild rice, and to place its nest sometimes on the ground, but more 

 generally on a little platform a foot or so above the water's level, 

 formed by bending down the rushes or reed in situ. The nest 

 itself is slight and flat, composed of reed and rush loosely put 

 together, 6 or 7 inches in diameter and from an inch to two inches in 

 thickness. This, however, I state mainly on the evidence of the 

 native collector I sent to Cashmere, as I have only myself seen one 

 single nest. 



The late Major Cock sent me the following note : — " Breeds in 

 large numbers among the reeds and rushes that fringe the various 

 Cashmere lakes during May and June. It makes a flat-shaped 

 nest of dried rushes attached to four or five reeds growing out of 

 the water and at a height from the water of 'about one foot. Two 

 or three days spent in wading about among these reeds rewarded 

 me with several nests. Six eggs was the usual number ; pure white 

 in colour. The birds never sat close, but were always off the nest 

 before I came up to it." 



Mr. Scrope Doig writes from Sind : — " Last year, though Captain 

 Butler and myself several times searched one of the swamps here, 

 we never came across the Bittern or A. fiavicollis. This year, 

 in the same swamp, there are numbers of both. I took my first 

 nest of this bird on the 26th May ; it contained four fresh eggs. 

 They are elongated ovals, sharp at both ends, and pure white. 

 The eggs vary from V6 to 1'4 in length and from 0-95 to 1-05 in 

 width, the average of seven eggs being 1'34 in length and I'OO in 

 breadth." 



The eggs of this species closely resemble those of Ardetta cinaa- 

 momea and A. sinensis (although perhaps they average rather smaller 

 than those of the former and larger than those of the latter). They 

 are moderately broad ovals, pure white, and entirely glossless. 

 The shell is fine, but is closer pitted all over with minute pores, 

 giving it in a bright light a somewhat rough appearance. As in- 

 cubation proceeds, the eggs get much soiled and discoloured. 



The eggs I have vary in length from 1-23 to 1'41, and from 

 0-97 to 1-05 in breadth. 



TOL. ni. 17 



