BRITISH BIRDS. 
LITTLE BITTERN. ^ 
(Ardea mlnutat Lin.-— Blongios, BufF.) 
This bird, in the bulk of its body, is not much 
bigger than the Throftle, meafuring only about fif- 
teen inches in length. From the corners of the 
mouth, a black ftroke extends acrofs the under' 
fide of the cheeks ; and a patch of black, gloffed 
with green and edged with chefnut, covers the 
crown of its head. On the back, rump, and fca- 
pulars, the feathers are dark brown, edged with 
pale rufty-coloured red ; the fides of the neck, and 
the bread, are of the fame colours, but the brown 
on the middle of each feather is in narrower flreaks. 
The l;)elly is white ; the hinder part of the neck is 
G 2 
