BIRDS — ARDEIDAE — BUTORIDES VIRESCENS. 



677 



late, well ilefinetl feathers. Feathers of back ami scapulars similar, the latter not reaching to 

 the tip of the tail. Feathers of the neck broad, the webs somewhat decomposed. Top of the 

 head, with the crest, and the entire upper parts, metallic glossy green, darkest on the head ; 

 the coverts all edged narrowly with brownish yellow ; tlie whafts of scapulars and interscapulars 

 whitish. The scapulars and interscapulars sometimes tinged with opaque plumbeous. Neck 

 and long feathers covering the jugulum purplish chestnut ; the chin and central line of the 

 throat white, streaked with dusky greenish. Under parts and sides of body plumbeous ash. 

 Bill black above ; yellowish beneath. Feet greenish yellow. 



Younger specimens lack the scapular development. The colors generally are duller. The 

 under i)arts wliite, streaked with brown. Tiie coverts more spotted. 



As already stated, this species diflFers from B. scapularis, of Brazil, among other points, in 

 having the neck purplish chestnut instead of ashy. 



Gundlach' describes a species of Bulorides from Cuba, {B. bnmnescens,) which differs in having 

 the tip of the lower mandible greenish white, the naked skin of face olive black, that around 

 the eye yellowish green. The legs olive brown. The lesser wing coverts and small quills dark 

 metallic green, with very slight rusty edges. The large quills without white. Lesser under 

 wing coverts gray, with scarcely brownish border. Throat feathers yellowish brown ; dark gray 

 at the base ; the feathers of the fore neck blackish, with green metallic lustre, with rusty tips 

 and pale yellowish lateral edges. In virescens there are two stripes on the side of the head, one 

 from the angle of the mouth, and one from the base of the lower mandible towards the ear, and 

 between them a white stripe streaked with black ; of this latter stripe there is no trace in brun- 

 nescens. 



I introduce this indication of what Cabanis considers a very good species, to call attention to 

 it as being almost the only Cuban heron recorded by Gundlach not yet detected within our limits^ 

 and undoubtedly yet to be found in Florida. 



List of specimens. 



Gatal. 



No. 



1136 

 298 

 4926 

 5891 

 4271 

 4272 

 7068 

 8189 



4154 

 9487 

 4153 



9489 

 9491 



Sex and 

 age. 1 



Locality. 



S 



3 



9 

 9 



Carlisle 



do 



Florida 



Prairie Mer Rouge. 

 Calcasieu Pass, La. 



do 



Salt creek 



Kansaa river 



Brownsville, Texas. 



Rio Grande 



Rio Xasas, Durango . 



Eagle Pass, Texas 



San Bois creek, Choc- 

 law county. 

 Sacramento valley, Cal, 



Tulare valley 



Fort Tejon, Cal 



Wlien col- 

 lected. 



July 18,1843 

 April 17, 1841 



18S4 



1854 



May 28,1857 

 July 9, 1857 



.May 4, 1852 



June, 1852. 



Wbence obtained. 



S. F. Baird 



do 



G. Wurdcinann.. 

 James Fairie .... 

 G. Wurdeniann.. 



, do 



Lieut. Bryan 



VVm. N. Miigraw. 



Capt. Van Tlit^t. . 

 Major Emory.... 

 Lieut. Couch.... 



Major Emury... 

 Lieut. Whipple. 



Orig. 

 No. 



101 

 125 



Lieut. Williamson. 



do 



J.Xantusde Vesey. 



Collected by— 



W. 8. Wood.. 

 Dr. Cooper . . . 



J. H. Clark.... 



A. Schoit... 

 H.B.Mullhauscn 



Dr. Ileermann 



Length. 



Stretch 

 ofwingf. 



18.23 

 17.75 



17.50 

 19.00 

 19.50 



21.00 

 25.23 



25.50 

 28.00 

 28.12 



Wing. 



7.00 

 8.00 

 7.75 



Iris yellow ; bill black 

 andyeFw; feetyel'w. 



Kyes and feet green ; 

 bill yellow and slate. 



' Ardta 6runn«sc£iis, Gumdlacu, Lembcye, Av. Cuba, tab. xii. 

 OcnXscus hrunnescens. Cab. Journal fiir Orn. IV, 1856, 344. 



