THE BLUE BITTERN. 255 
further islands in the Pacific Ocean. In China and Japan a similar but 
larger species occurs^ which has been named B. macrorhyncha. Specimens 
from India are much duller in coloration as a rule than B. javanica from 
Burmah and Java. 
This Bittern is very abundant in all the wooded streams of Burmah, 
concealing itself during the day in bushes and coming out to feed at dusk. 
I have never found its eggs ; but it probably breeds in July, making its 
nest in low bushes and reeds. Its eggs are greenish white. 
Genus AEDEIEALLA, Verr. 
620. AEDEIRALLA FLAVICOLLIS. 
THE BLUE BITTERN. 
Ardea flavicoUis, Lath. Inch Orn. ii. p. 701 ; Hume^ Nests and Eggs, p. 621. 
Ardetta flavicollis, Jerd. B. Ind. ii. p, 763 ; Bl. B. Burm. p. 160 ; Hmne, 
S. F. iii. p. 191 ; Wald. Trans. Zool. Soc. ix. p. 236 j David et Oust. Ois. Chine, 
p. 446 ; Hume Dav. S. F. vi. p. 483 ; Cripps, S. F. vii. p. 308 ; Hume, S. F. 
viii. p. 114 ; Bingham, S. F. ix. p. 198 ; Oates, S. F. x. p. 243. Ardeiralla 
flavicollis, Salvad. Ucc. Born. p. 353; Legge, Birds Ceylon, p. 1159. 
Description. — Male and female. General colour of the plumage ashy 
blue ; the feathers of the scapulars and breast lengthened, those of the 
head and neck soft and very ample ; chin and throat white, the feathers 
tipped with chestnut ; a broad yellowish band down each side of the neck 
more or less concealed or diminished iu extent by the overlapping of the 
feathers of the fore neck, each of which is whitish on outer web, chestnut on 
the inner and broadly tipped with black ; feathers of the breast ashy blue like 
the general plumage, but with each feather edged white on the outer web. 
The young bird, while possessing the general features of the adult 
plumage, is chiefly brow'u, the feathers edged with rufous. 
Bill dusky reddish brown, lighter below ; facial skin purplish brown ; 
eyelids bluish ; iris golden brown or pale red ; legs dark brown ; claws 
dark horn-colour. 
Length 24 inches, tail 2"8, wing 8'2, tarsus 2'9, bill from gape 4. The 
female is of the same size. 
The Blue Bittern is common over the whole of Pegu, both in the plains 
and in the hills, and probably it will also be found to be abundant in 
Arrakan. Mr. Davison states that it is rare in Tenasserim ; but he procured 
it at several widely separated localities, and it will therefore be probably 
found scattered over the whole Division. 
It occurs over the greater part of the Indian peninsula and Ceylon, the 
