560 LEAST BITTERN. 
LEAST BITTERN.—ARDEA EXILIS.— Fie. 263.— MALE. 
Lath, Syn. iii. p. 26, No. 28. — Peale’s Museum, No. 3814; female, 3815. 
ARDEOLA EXILIS. — Bonararte.* 
Ardeola exilis, Bonap. Synop. p. 309. — Ardea exilis, Wagl.- Syst. Av. No. 43. — 
, Le Heron rouge et noir, Azar: Voy. 360. — Descript. opt. auct. Wagl. 
Turs is the smallest known species of the whole tribe. It is com- 
monly found-in fresh-water meadows, and rarely visits the salt marshes. 
One, shot near Great Egg Harbor, was presented to me as avery un- 
common bird. In the meadows of Schuylkill and Delaware, below 
Philadelphia, a few of these birds: breed every year; making their 
nests in the thick tussocks of grass, in swampy places. Whenalarm- 
ed, they seldom fly far, but take shelter among the reeds, or long grass. 
They are scarcely ever seen exposed, but skulk during the day; and, 
like the preceding species, feed chiefly in the night. . 
This little creature measures twelve inches in length, and sixteen 
in extent; the bill is more than two inches and a quarter long, yellow, 
ridged with black, and very sharp pointed; space round the eye, pale 
yellow; irides, bright yellow; whole upper part of the crested head, 
the back, scapulars, and tail, very deep slate, reflecting slight tints 
of green; throat, white, here and there tinged with buff; hind part of 
the neck, dark chestnut bay; sides of the neck, cheeks, and ‘line over 
the eye, brown buff; lesser wing-coverts,.the same; greater wing- 
coverts, chestnut, with a spot of the same at the bend of the wing; 
the primary coverts are also tipped with the same; wing-quills, dark 
slate; breast, white, tinged with ochre, under which lie a number of 
blackish feathers; belly and vent, white; sides, pale ochre; legs, 
greenish on the shins, hind part and feet, yellow ; thighs, feathered to 
within a quarter of an inch: of the knees; middle claw, pectinated ; 
toes, tinged with pale green;. feet, large, the span of the foot measur- 
ing two inches and three quarters. Male and female, nearly alike in 
color. The young birds are brown on the crown and back. The 
stomach was filled with small fish ; and the intestines, which were ex- 
tremely slender, measured, in length, about four feet. 
The Least Bittern is also found in Jamaica, and several of the West 
India islands. ~ 
* Bonaparte proposes the title of Ardeala, as a sub-genus for this species and the 
A. minuta of Britain, They differ from the other (A. virescens, &c.) Small Herons, 
in having the space above the knees plumed, and m the scapularies taking the 
broad form of those of the Bitterns and Night Herons; instead of beautifully length- 
ened plumes. ; 
Three species will constitute this group, that of America, A. exilis; A. minuta, 
of Europe; and A. pusilla, Wagl. of New Holland. They are all very similar; 
the latter has been confounded hitherto with the others. — Ep. 
cad 
