THE BIRD BOOK 
191- Least Bittern. Ixobrychus exilis. 
Range. — Common throughout the United States, 
especially in the eastern part, and in the southern 
British provinces. 
This small variety of Bittern is very common 
in the southern portions of the United States, but 
less so and locally distributed in the northern 
portions of its range. They are very quiet and 
sly birds, and their presence is often unsuspected 
when they are really quite abundant. When ap- 
proached, they will re- 
main perfectly quiet, with 
the body erect and the 
head and neck pointed 
skyward, in which posi- 
tion their yellowish 
brown plumage strongly 
resembles the rushes 
among which they are 
found. Their nests are 
made of strips of rushes 
woven about upright 
stalks, generally over water. They lay from 
three to five eggs of a pale bluish white color. 
Size 1.20 x .90. Data. — Avery’s Island, La., May 1, 
1896. Four eggs. Nest of strips of rushes woven 
together to form a platform and fastened to saw 
grass growing on the bank of a stream. Collector, 
E. A. Mcllhenny. 
Pale bluish gray 
191.L Cory’s Least Bittern. Ixobrychus 
neoxenus. 
This rare species, of which about twenty speci- 
mens are known is probably resident in Florida, 
wandering north in the summer, specimens hav- 
ing been taken in Ontario, Canada, and in several 
localities in eastern United States. It is very different from the Least Bittern, 
having a more uniform chestnut coloration, especially on the under parts. It is 
twelve inches in length. Mr. C. W. Crandall has a set of five eggs of this 
species, taken on the Caloosaliatchee River, Fla., April 15, 1891, by S. B. Ladd, 
nest was made of grasses and rushes placed in the cane two feet above the 
Least Bittern 
Cory’s Leasl Bittern 
120 
