Vol. XXV, pp. 53-56 April 13, 1912 



PROCEEDINGS 



OF THE 



BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



THE STATUS OF BUTORIDES BRUNESCENS 

 (LEMBEYE). 



BY HARRY C. OBERHOLSER. 



A recent investigation into the races of Butorides virescens, 

 undertaken for the Biological Survey of the United States 

 Department of Agriculture, involved an examination of the 

 peculiar Butorides brunescens of Cuba. This was necessary in 

 order to determine the proper name for the form of Butorides 

 virescens inhabiting the island of Cuba, since, if Butorides 

 brunescens should prove to be merely a color phase of Butorides 

 virescens in Cuba, the subspecific name of that form would, of 

 course, become brunescens. Although the number of specimens 

 examined is small, for Butorides brunescens is a rare bird in 

 collections, the conclusions reached seem worthy of permanent 

 record. To the authorities of the United States National 

 Museum acknowledgments are due for the use of the speci- 

 mens which form the basis of these notes. 



Described from an unknown locality in Cuba, by Lembeye, 

 in 1850,* Butorides brunescens has often been considered a color 

 phase of Butorides virescens, though by some authors treated as 

 a distinct species. t In addition to the fact that it occurs only 

 in Cuba and the Isle of Pines, + where it seems to be perma- 

 nently resident, all the evidence gathered from the examina- 

 tion of between 500 and 600 specimens of the various forms of 

 Butorides virescens and several examples of Butorides brunescens, 

 both adult and young, points to the conclusion that the latter 



'Ardea brunescens Lembeye, Aves de la Isla de Cuba, isfxi, p. 84, pi. XII. 



TBaird, Hep. Explor. and Surv.R. R. Pac. IX. 1858, p. 677; Ridgway, Manual North 

 Amer. Birds, Is*?, p. 131 ; Cory, Auk, IV, 1887, p. 327; et al. 



JThe ostensible Jamaica record (March, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phila., 1864, p. 64) is 

 based on a mere supposition of its occurrence there. 



9— Proc. Biol. Soc Wash., Vol.. XXV, 1912. (..">:;) 



