256 
BIRDS OF BRITISH BURMAH. 
Indo-Burmese countries^ China^ Cocliin China, the Malay peninsula and 
the islands nearly up to Australia, where it appears to be replaced by a 
closely allied race, A. australis, Cuv. 
This Bittern is mostly found in plains of grass, paddy-fields and swamps ; 
but I met with it in the streams of the Pegu hills, where it was tolerably 
abundant. It is chiefly nocturnal in its habits. I have frequently found 
its nest in July — a shallow structure of sticks placed in bamboo bushes or 
on cane-brakes, and containing three or four pale green eggs. 
Genus AEDETTA, G. R. Gray. 
621. ARDETTA CINNAMOMEA. 
THE CHESTNUT BITTERN. 
Ardea cinnamomea, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 643. Ardetta cinnamomea, Jerd. B. 
Ind. ii. p, 755 ; Hume, Nests and Egys, p. 622 ; id. *S'. F. ii. p. 311 ; Salvad. Ucc. 
Born. p. 354 ; Bl. B. Biinn. p. 160 ; Oates, S. F. v. p. 168 ; David et Oust. Ois. 
Chine, p. 447 ; Hwne Sf JDav. S. F. vi. p. 483 ; Cripps, S. F. vii. p. 308 ; Hume, 
8. F. viii. p. 114 ; Binyham, S. F. viii, p. 197, ix. p. 198 ; Oates, S. F. x. p. 243 ; 
Kelham, Ibis, 1882, p. 195. Ardeiralla cinnamomea, Leyge, Birds Ceylon, 
p. 1162. 
Description. — Male. The whole upper plumage, wings and tail deep 
chestnut ; chin and throat white tinged with fulvous ; sides of the face 
chestnut ; the whole lower plumage pale chestnut, darker on the flanks 
and the outside of the thighs ; under tail-coverts whitish ; a broken central 
streak down the front of the neck brown, formed by each feather having a 
patch on the inner web ; an irregular brownish-black breast-band con- 
tinued as a complete collar round the shoulders, formed by each feather 
having a central patch of that colour ; the forehead tinged with purple. 
The female has the forehead, crown and nape purplish brown ; sides of 
the head pale reddish brown ; chin and throat whitish ; fore neck pale 
buff", a blackish line tinged with rufous running down its whole length 
from the throat to the breast ; sides of the neck buff", each feather broadly 
edged with yellowish; breast and sides of the body buff, each feather 
centred with dark brown ; abdomen, vent and under tail-coverts white 
tinged with bufi" ; under wing-coverts buff streaked with brown ; quills 
chestnut ; primary-coverts chestnut with dusky centres ; upper wing- 
coverts, tertiaries and scapulars dull chestnut barred with light buff; tail 
dull chestnut ; back and rump brown with a rufous tinge. 
Eyelids and facial skin reddish purple ; bill nearly all yellow, the culmen 
alone being dark brown ; legs and toes yellowish green ; claws brown ; 
iris yellow to pale red. The female has the facial skin, the margins of the 
