52 
ARDEA EXILIS, 
letting the bird remain some time undisturbed, they 
again became yellow, and I then discovered that the 
action of the hand had brought a flow of blood into 
them, and produced the change of colour. I have 
remarked the same in those of the night heron. 
SUBGENUS III. — ARDEOLA. 
211 * ARDEA EXILIS, GMELIN AND WILSON. — LEAST BITTERN. 
WILSON, PLATE LXV. FIG. IV. 
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, 
below Philadelphia, a few of these birds breed every 
year ; making their nests in the thick tussocks of grass, 
in swampy places. When alarmed, they seldom 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 American bittern, 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 quarter 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-coverts, chestnut, with a spot of the same at the 
bend of the wing; the primary coverts are also tipt 
with the same ; wing-quills, dark slate ; breast, white, 
tinged with ochre, under which lie a number of blackish 
feathers ; belly and vent, white ; sides, pale ochre ; 
legs, greenish on the shins, hind part and feet, yellow ; 
