LEAST BITTERN. 
59 
LEAST BITTERN.— ARDEA EXILIS Plate LXV. 
Fig. 4. Male. 
Lath. Syn. iii. p. 26, No. 28 PeaWs Museum, No. 3814 ; female, 3816. 
ARDEOLA Bonaparte.* 
Ardeola exilis, Bonap. Synop. p. 309 Ardea exilis, Wagl. Syst. Av. No. 43. — 
Le Heron rouge et noir, Azar. Voy. 360. — Descript, opt. auct. Wagl. 
This is the smallest known species of the whole tribe. It 
is commonly found in fresh water meadows, and rarely visits 
the salt marshes. One shot near Great Egg Harbour was 
presented to me as a very uncommon bird. In the meadows 
of Schuylkill and Delaware, belo w Philadelphia, a few of these 
birds breed every year ; making their nests in the thick tus- 
socks of grass, in swampy places. When alarmed, they sel- 
dom fly far, but take shelter among the reeds or long grass. 
They are scarcely ever seen exposed, but skulk during the 
day ; and, like the preceding species, feed chiefly in the night. 
This little creature measures twelve inches in length, and 
sixteen in extent ; the bill is more than two inches and a quar- 
ter long, yellow, ridged with black, and very sharp pointed ; 
space round the eye, pale yellow ; irides, bright yellow ; whole 
upper part of the crested head, the back, scapulars, and tail, 
very deep slate, reflecting slight tints of green ; throat, white, 
here and there tinged with buff ; hind part of the neck, dark 
chestnut bay ; sides of the neck, cheeks, and line over the eye, 
brown buff ; lesser wing-coverts, the same ; greater wing-co- 
verts, chestnut, with a spot of the same at the bend of the 
* Bonaparte proposes the title of Ardeola, as a subgenus for this species and the 
A. minuta of Britain. They differ from the other (A. virescens, &c.) small herons, 
in having the space above the knees plumed, and in the scapularies taking the 
broad form of those of the bitterns and night herons, instead of beautifully length- 
ened plumes. 
Three species will constitute this group, that of America, A. exilis ; A, minuta, 
of Europe ; and A. pusilla, Wagl. of New Holland. They are all very similar ; 
the latter has been confounded hitherto with the others, — Ed. 
