104 
THE LEAST BITTERN". 
of the same colour, excepting the fore part of the breast, which is blackish- 
brown, the feathers tipped with reddish-yellow, and the outer tibial feathers, 
which are reddish. In younger individuals the fore neck is more or less 
spotted with light brown, as was the case with that represented ; but in old 
birds that part is unspotted. 
Length to end of tail 131 inches, to end of claws 16 ; to end of wings 
12 t 4 2 ; extent of wings 173 ; wing from flexure 53 ; tail 1}1 ; bill along the 
ridge If, along the edge of lower mandible 2 h ; tarsus lyy ; middle toe 1-|, 
its claw T %. Weight 4f oz. 
Adult Female. 
The female is smaller, and differs considerably from the male in colour. 
The bare parts and iris are the same. The upper part of the head is reddish- 
brown, with a tinge of green ; the back and scapulars are dark chestnut, and 
there is a line of yellowish-white along each side of the back, formed by the 
outer edges of the feathers. The rump is darker, the tail bluish-black, as in 
the male. In other respects the colouring is similar, but the feathers of the 
fore neck and sides have each a narrow central line of dark brown. 
Length to end of tail 12 inches ; wing from flexure 43 ; tail 13 ; bill along 
the ridge 13, along the edge of lower mandible 2 T 2 2 ; tarsus li ; middle toe 
I/ 2 , its claw T 5 2 . Weight 31 oz. 
Young in first plumage. 
The young has the bill, eyes, and feet nearly of the same tints as the old ; 
but the upper parts of the plumage are generally of a light brownish-red, 
variegated with brownish-yellow ; the primary quills and tail black. 
I have lately received a letter from my friend John Bachman, stating 
that he had found this species breeding in considerable numbers on the 
plantation of James H. Smith, - Esq., six miles east of Charleston, where he 
procured specimens both of the birds and of their eggs. Mr. Smith’s sons 
had killed, in the course of a couple of weeks, not less than fourteen of these 
diminutive Herons. He describes the nest as flat, composed of pieces of 
dry rushes about a foot in length, and placed in a bunch of Juncus effusus. 
The eggs were nearly white, with a very light tinge of blue. 
In an adult male preserved in spirits, the interior of the mouth is of the 
same structure as in the other Herons ; the tongue 1 inch 4 twelfths long, 
very slender, trigonal, tapering to a point. Width of mouth 5 twelfths. 
(Esophagus 8 inches long, its width at the upper part 1 inch 2 twelfths, 
gradually tapering to 8 twelfths, and within the thorax enlarged to 1C 
twelfths. Belt of proventricular glandules h inch in breadth. Stomach large, 
1 inch in diameter, its tendons S' twelfths in breadth, its walls extremely thin, 
being quite membranous. The contents are three small fishes, and remains 
of others. Lobes of the liver unequal, the right 13 inches, the left 1 inch in 
