Birds of Celebes: Ardeidae. 
863 
Distribution. In the Oelebesian area: Talaut Is. — Kahruang and Salibabu (Nat. Ooll.); 
Sangi Is. — Siao (Meyer c 2); Celebes — N. Peninsula (Rosenberg a 2, Faber 
b 1, Meyer, v. Mus s chenb r o ek , Riedel c 5); S. Peninsula (Platen e 3, 
Weber c 5). 
Dr. Sharpe (cl 1) gives the following range for X. flavicollis — India and 
Central and Southern China to Ceylon, the Malayan countries, Java, Borneo and 
Qelebes — distinguishing the birds of the Moluccas, Papuasia, and Australia respec- 
tively as three species. Count Salvadori includes the latter localities in the range 
of the single species, Arcieiralla flavicollis, describing a second species, A. indaena, 
as occurring with it in Great Sangi and Halmahera. 
The Yellow-necked Bittern is a puzzling species to the systematist, as it 
varies much individually as regards measurements (see above) and apparently 
also in coloration, moreover racial differences seem to exist. If this is the case 
— and we can hardly doubt it — it is pretty certain that such differences will 
occur in almost every locality where the bird is resident. The difficulty is in- 
creased by the circumstance that the bird is only a summer visitor to China; 
in winter it proceeds to other quarters, and one is not sure Avhether this or 
that specimen in hand from the Celebesian Provunce w'as a resident individual 
there, or a winter visitor from China. Dr. Platen got a young specimen from 
South Celebes in July (c 3), so that the species must be regarded as a breeding- 
bird in Celebes. 
This is a handsome species, its general coloration recalling in many ways 
that of the Purple Heron. It has often been placed in the genus Ardetta, but 
its affinities with the Little Bittei-ns look as if they were distant, though it is 
not easy to find points of structural difference in skins. The long and broad 
loose feathers of the jugulum, and the absence of the tufts of feathers with 
broad black or blackish centres on the sides of the breast below the shoulder, 
are perhaps the most striking differences between it and Ardetta. 
366. XANTHOONUS MELAENUS (Salvad.). 
Black Bittern. 
a. Ardetta melaeua (1) Salvad., Atti Acc. Torino 1877 — 78, XIH, 1186. 
b. Ardeiralla melaena (1) Salvad., Orn. Paji. 1882, HE, 367; (2) Meyer, Isis, Dresden 
1884, 6, 57; (3) W. Bias., Ornis 1888, 631; (4) Salvad., Agg. Orn. Pap. 1891, 207. 
c. Ardeirallus melas (1) Sharpe, Ibis 1894, 427. 
d. Xanthocnus melas (1) Sharpe, Ibis 1894, 431. 
e. Dupetor melas (1) Sharpe, Ibis 1896, 256; (2) id.. Oat. B. 1898, XXVI, 251. 
Adult. Black, sHghtly slaty; abdomen dusky blackish; hill and feet entu-ely black. Wing 
220 mm; tail 80; tarsus 70; bill 84 (Salvadori a 1). 
Immature? Dusky brown, paler below, inclining to russet down middle of throat; bill black, 
under mandible paler; legs and feet dark brown. Wing 212 mm; tail 78; tarsus 
62.5; middle toe with claw 67; exposed culmen 79 (Sangi — 0 10511). 
Young. Feathers of fore-neck slightly margined with brown; feathers of back and abdomen 
Hghtly washed with white (Salvadori a 1). 
