468 ARDEIDÆ.
hair, from which circumstance, the' term comata,—hairy, has
been applied to more. than, one species; the colour a'palé
reddish brown in those-upon the surface, passing into a delicate
buff colour in those underneath; the wings white, the
ends of some "of the coverts .and tertials being tinged with
buff; .rjimp, Tipper tail-coverts and tail-feathers white'pu-chin,
throat, belly, tindèï surface of .the .wings, the^axillary plume,
vent, and under surface of -the tail-feathers;, pure white;; legs
yellowish brown ;’-:toesv browhabove,V yellow underneath;.
claws black.
Whole length from the point of the beak, to the .end of thé
tail; -about nineteen inches. 'From the“ carpal joint, to the
end of the wing, nine in ehes-^thu first an di-third quill-feathers,
are equal in length1, and only a.very-little shorter than the
second, which is the longest in thé .win J | | |
- The sexes in plumage' resemble-each other atethe^api^hge;.
In a younger bird/ thetdescending dtiskyv grey- strèaks on
the feathers of the neck are jo n g e r-anckt^^dfeiji and the
lighter-ground colour more" mixed with ilrown ;? the w in ^
coverts tinged with buff; b u t-thé jplumagerrof the back, and
fherends of the tertials are reddish brow%;- and I haveiobf
served th a t the younger the specimen thè darker'ale the feathers'along
the middIe4ine„of the back..
L IT T L E B ITT ERN 469
GRALLATORES. ARDEIDÆ.
T H E L IT T L E B IT T E R N
Ardea minuta, Little Bittern Heron, Penn. Brit. Zool. vol. ii. p. 18.
Little Bittern,
Bbtaurus minutus,
Ardea minuta,
Bfltaurus minutus,
: Héron]
Bittern, ’
Mont. Ornith. Diet.
JB ewick^ Brit. Birds, vol. ii. p. 27,
adult.
i i n n » n •» 29.
... young.
Flem.,Brit. An. p. 97.
Selby, Brit. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 36.
Jenyns, Brit. Vert. p. 189.
jExa|||D,tBirds of Europe, pt. x.
rn____ t\ t — » . .t/\1 ii I-. ^QA
Botaures.* Generic, Qharacters.—Beak a|Jong, or rathef longer, than the
head, sliffig, jugher than-broad, the mandibles of equal length, upper mandible
slightly curved downwards. 'Nostrils basal, linear, longitudinal, lodged in a
fitrrow1, and partly covered by a naked membrane. Legs of -mean length ; toes