562 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



VOL. 42. 



Female: ^ Wing, 164-167 (165.5) mm.; tail, 58.5-60 (59.3); exposed 

 culmen, 57-61 (59.0); height of bill at base, 11-11.5 (11.3); tarsus, 

 46-52 (49.0) ; middle toe, 39.5-40.5 (40.0). 



Type-locality. — St. Christopher Island, West Indies. 



Geograpliical distribution. — St. Christopher Island, West Indies. 



This St. Christopher Island race may be readily distinguished from' 

 Butorides virescens cubanus by the greater size of the male; paler 

 posterior lower parts; lighter, much more fulvescent (less purplish) 

 neck and sides of head. It is very different from Butorides virescens 

 cubanus, notwithstanding that its range is nearly surrounded by that 

 of the latter. It is, in fact, much more nearly like the bird from the 

 Bahama Islands — Butorides virescens bahamensis . So far as known, 

 it is confined to the island of St. Christopher, where it is found appar- 

 ently throughout the year. 



Judging from the birds examined, the female is decidedly smaller 

 than the male. 



Four specimens of this race have been available^ all from St. 

 Christopher Island. 



Measurements of specimens of Butorides virescens christophorensis. 



Museum and number. 



Date. 



Middle 

 toe. 



U.S.N.M.,809212 



M.C.Z.,28404 2 



U.S.N.M.,80922 2 



Field Mus.N.H., 336712 



Male 3. . . 

 [Male] * . 

 Female 5 

 ...do.6... 



Mar. 8, 1890 



mm. 

 42.5 

 47.0 

 40.5 

 39.5 



BUTORIDES VIRESCENS DOMINICANUS, new subspecies. 



Chars, subsp. — Similar to Butorides virescens cubanus, but wing and 

 tail longer; posterior under surface paler; neck and sides of head 

 averaging somewhat paler and rather less rufescent (more purplish). 



Description. — Type, adult male, No. 13629, collection of E. A. and 

 O. Bangs; Roseau, Dominica Island, West Indies, June 30, 1905; 

 A. H. Verrill. Pileum, occipital crest, postocular region, and a short 

 subauricular streak, deep, glossy, somewhat bluish bottle green; 

 malar stripe cream white; submalar stripe light purplish chestnut, 

 mixed with brownish black; cheeks, auriculars, sides and back of 

 neck, rather light and rather purphsh chestnut, more purplish and 

 shghtly glaucous posteriorly; upper surface of body dark, bluish 

 bottle green, somewhat glossy, the long, pointed, plume-like feathers 

 of back and scapulars glaucous; wings fuscous, the primaries and 

 outer secondaries dull, dark, greenish-blue slate color, the innermost 



• Two specimens, from the same island. 



" Used in measurement averages on pp. 561-562. 



3 Type, from St. Christopher Island, West Indies, collected by F. A. Ober. 



< From the same locality, collected by W. J. Branch. 



6 From the same locality, collected by F. A. Ober. 



• From the same locality, collected by C. S. Winch. 



