NOTES ON NORTH CAROLINA BIRDS — WETMORB 487 



Family ARDEIDAE 



LEUCOPHOYX THULA THULA (Molina) : Snowy Egret 



All adult female was taken on Smith Island on May 13. 



Sharpe ^ was correct, as indicated by Peters,^ in placing this heron 

 in a distinct genus Leucophoyx, as it differs from Egretta garzetta^ 

 the type of the genus Egretta^ in its large crest, in the lack of the 

 elongate plumes on the nape, and in the different form of the feathers 

 of the breast. 



FLORIDA CAERULEA CAERULEA (Limiaens) : Little Bine Heron 



An adult male was taken near Southport on May 17. One was seen 

 on Smith Island on May 13. 



While Peters » has not recognized a southern form of this heron, 

 it is my opinion from examination of a large series that the adult birds 

 in dark plumage of the Antillean area are definitely darker and duller 

 than those of the United States. Comparisons must be made with 

 clean skins, as specimens impregnated with fat become appreciably 

 darker than normal.* Skins from the north that are discolored may 

 thus appear as dark as those from the West Indies. 



BOTAURUS LENTIGINOSUS (Montagu) : American Bittern 



Specimens were taken at South Mills on April 17 and 21 and 6 miles 

 northeast of Beaufort on November 14, One was recorded in the 

 locality last mentioned November 17. 



Family ACCIPITRIDAE 



ACCIPITER STRIATUS VELOX (Wilson) : ShartJ-ehinned Hawk 



A young female not quite grown and only recently from the nest 

 was taken July 11 at 3,500 feet on Elk Knob near Meatcamp Creek, 

 5 miles north of Boone. This bird undoubtedly was hatched neai-by, 

 as it is too young to have flown far. Adult males were taken 4 miles 

 south of Manns Harbor on October 25 and near Bethel on November 1. 

 Birds were seen near StatesviUe on October 9 and Greenville on 

 November 11. 



BUTEO JAMAICENSIS JAMAICENSIS (Gmelin) : Eestem Red-tailed Hawk 



No specimens were taken but this bird has be^n so reduced in number 

 that the following sight records are of interest : Southport, May 15 

 and 20; Suit, Cherokee County, June 7; about 8 miles southwest of 

 Murphy, June 12; Wayah Bald, Franklin County, June 19 and 27; 



1 Bull. Brit. Orn. Club, vol. 3, 1894, p. 39. 

 » Check-list of birds of the world, vol. 1, 1931, p. 113. 



3 Check-list of birds of the world, vol. 1, 1931, p. 107. ^ v *.„^ 



* See Wetmore, A., Scientific Survey of Porto Rico and the Virgin Islands, New York Acad. 

 Sci., vol. 9, 1927, p. 294. 



