54 THE BIOLOGICAL REVIEW. 



FOURTH SPECIMEN OF ARDETTA NEOXENA 

 AT TORONTO. 



(July 1 6, 1894.) Yesterday while going through Toronto marsh 

 I had the good fortune to find Cory's Bittern (ArdetLa neoxena),. 

 it was a little east of the south shore buoy and just in the act of 

 alighting a little behind me when I caught sight of it, and at 

 first mistook it for a Virginian Rail, but on a second sight its 

 long legs showed clearly it was not. I pushed as close to the 

 rushes as I dared, and watched it for about a quarter of an 

 hour, and turned to leave it, all the time wishing I had my gun. 

 After going some fifty yards, I returned- to have, as I thought,, 

 a last look at my rare friend. This time I got so near it that 

 Miss Phillips suggested I hit it with an oar. Happy thought ! 

 I took the hint, so did the Bittern, and he flew to the other end 

 of the rushes, but again let me get within a couple of yards of 

 him, and this time I had the good luck to knock him over. 

 While watching it, its actions were altogether different to any 

 other Bittern I have ever seen, for instead of standing erect 

 when observed, as is the habit of most of the family, it would 

 crouch down until it was only the size of a Virginian Rail, its 

 long neck altogether out of sight. It had a very slow, sneaky 

 walk, grasping a single rush with one foot and striding as far as 

 possible to grasp another. It seemed to be feeding on insects 

 on the lily leaves at the foot of the rushes, as it would every 

 few seconds dart out its neck with lightning rapidity and take 

 something off the leaves. 



Toronto. Charles Pickering. 



The bird referred to above was handed to me by Mr. Pickering 

 for examination, and following is the description of it. The 

 terms used in defining the colors were taken from Ridgway's 

 " Nomenclature of Colors," with which the bird was compared : 

 Specimen ?, in good condition. Total length from point of 

 beak to end of middle toe claw, 16-2' ; the same with moderate 

 extension, 17-2' ; expanse of wings, 16-2' ; wing, 4*70' ; gape,, 

 2-2' ; from point of beak to centre of eye, 2-3' ; in length of 

 nasal aperture, 0-4' ; beak, measured at nostril, 0-3' wide ; tail,. 



