LITTLE BITTERN. 16 I 



GRALLA TORES. ARDEIDM. 



PLATE CLXIX. 



LITTLE BITTERN, 



ARDEA MINUTA. 



The Little Bittern is an occasional visitant in England, 

 most probably coming to us from Holland, where it more 

 frequently occurs than in other parts of Europe under the 

 same latitude. This bird belongs, in fact, to the south and 

 south-eastern countries of this quarter of the globe, such as 

 Turkey, Greece, the south of France, Spain, &c. In Asia 

 it is plentifully distributed over Persia, Syria, and Arabia ; it 

 is also found in Africa. In Sweden it is very rarely met 

 with ; and further north it does not appear. This bird 

 migrates in spring and autumn, choosing moderately warm 

 weather, and avoiding cold and frost. It does not commence 

 its northward course earlier than the latter part of April, nor 

 is it usual to meet with one of this species later in the year 

 than September. It is, moreover, believed that this Bittern 

 is so sensible of cold, that it does not remain on the European 

 side of the Mediterranean during the winter, but crosses 

 over to the opposite coast, performing its passage singly and 

 during the night. 



The localities preferred by the Little Bittern are muddy 

 swamps that surround ponds or border rivers, lakes, inland 

 seas, and springy bogs, provided they are overgrown with reeds, 

 flags, rushes, or osiers. In open pieces of water the present 



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