454 LEAST BITTERN. 



LEAST BITTERN. (Ardea exilis.) 



PLATE LXV.— Fig. 4, Male. 



Lath. Syn. iii. p. 26, No. 28. — Peale's Museum, No. 3814 - female, 3815. 

 ABDEOLA EXILIS— Bonaparte.* 



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. 



This is the smallest known species of the whole tribe. It is 

 commonly found in fresh-water meadows, and rarely visits 

 the salt marshes. One shot near Great Egg Harbour was 

 presented to me as a very uncommon 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. When alarmed, 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 



* Bonaparte proposes the title of Ardeola as a subgenus 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 in the scapularies taking the broad form of those of the 

 bitterns and night herons, instead of beautifully lengthened 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. — Ed. 



