FAMILY ARDEIDAE 1 01 



culty in penetrating their swampy haunts. While they feed at night, 

 they are less nocturnal than the black-crowned night heron as it is 

 common to see them during morning and evening on the seashore, 

 both on rocky headlands, and on mudflats and beaches made bare by 

 ebbing tide. They also are more prone to rest in open trees. 



The voice, usually heard as birds pass after dark, is similar to that 

 of the other species but higher in pitch. 



Six subspecies are recognized currently in the extensive range of 

 the species from northwestern Mexico and southeastern United States 

 south through Central America and the West Indies to northern and 

 eastern South America. Three of these have been recorded from 

 Panama, one of them as a migrant wanderer. A second enters the 

 upper Tuira valley from Colombia, and the third is resident along 

 the coasts of the republic. 



NYCTANASSA VIOLACEA VIOLACEA (Linnaeus) 



Ardea violacea Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, vol. 1, 1758, p. 143. (South Carolina.) 



Characters. — Paler gray than N. v. coliginis, with more slender bill ; 

 depth at nostril 19.0 to 21.9 mm. 



Measurements. — Males (30 specimens), wing 281-300 (294), tail 

 102.0-118.7 (109.2), culmen from base 64.5-75.6 (70.9), depth of 

 bill at nostril 19.0-21.9 (20.8), tarsus 93.6-106.2 (99.4) mm. 



Females (22 specimens), wing 271-305 (290), tail 101.1-115.4 

 (107.8), culmen from base 64.2-75.3 (69.9), depth of bill at nostril 

 19.4-21.9 (20.8), tarsus 90.5-105.8 (97.1) mm. 



Migrant. Found during the period of northern winter: Specimens 

 seen from Bocas del Toro (Bocas del Toro, Nov. 6, 1927; Changui- 

 nola, Jan. 21, 1929; Almirante, Feb. 6, 1958; Garay Creek, Almirante 

 Bay, Dec. 19, 1926) ; Herrera (Paris, Mar. 4, 1948) ; San Bias 

 (Perme, Oct. 21 and Dec. 6, 1929) ; and Isla Cebaco. 



This form appears to be fairly common as a migrant on the Carib- 

 bean coast of Bocas del Toro, In a preliminary review of the races of 

 this species (Smithsonian Misc. Coll., vol. 106, no. 1, 1946, p. 17) I 

 identified the bird from Garay Creek as Nyctanassa v. bancrofti, a 

 race widely distributed through the West Indies, On subsequent ex- 

 amination the specimen proved to be typical violacea. There is no 

 record of bancrofti from Panama. 



NYCTANASSA VIOLACEA CALIGINIS Wetmore 



Nyctanassa violacea caliginis Wetmore, Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington, vol. 59, 

 Mar. 11, 1946, p. 49. (Isla San Jose, Archipielago de las Perlas, Panama.) 



