PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 275 



36. Butorides virescens (Liun.). 



"Length, J , 18 in.; alar extent, 25; wing, 7. 



"As my boat skirted the fringe of mangroves bordering the lagoon 

 a^'xoss the bay from St. Georges, it ousted numbers of this small species. 

 They would fly a Httle ways, then dive into the deep foliage of the man- 

 groves, where a very close uispection ra.ght detect it crawling among 

 the spider-like roots, or threading its way through the mesh-work of 

 aerial suckers seeking the mud. When started by the boat or gun, it 

 gave utterance to its guttiu\'il cry, and as we moved along, the crackling 

 and shutting of oyster shells accompanied us throughout." 



37. Nyctiardea violacea (Linn. )• 



"A very shy and cautious bird, inhabiting the swamps near the sea- 

 coast. I have at diiferent times waited for hours for a shot at it in the 

 deep mangroves, which it loves to frequent." 



Fam. PLATALEID^. 



38. Platalea ajaja (Liun.). 



"A very rare migrant, said to have been seen here." 



Fam. COLUMBID^. 



39. Columba corensis, Gm. 

 "'Eamier.' 



" Length, S , 16 in. ; alar extent, 26i ; wing, 9. 



" I arrived at the Grand Etang, the lake in the mountains, about noon j 

 within an hour, the only man living there started with me around the 

 lake. After walking half an hour or so, we reached comparatively open 

 woods, the trees thick and very high. We heard a pigeon coo, and 

 after some time found him perched on the topmost branch of a tall 

 'figuer' tree, so high up that I at first mistook him for a 'grive'. At 

 the report of my gun, he started wildly, flew a few yards upward, and 

 then fell hurtling through the air, striking the ground with a thud. His 

 crop was full of hard seeds, large as small bullets. They seem to be in 

 these woods in good numbers." 



"They are now (March 12th) mating. In November, December, and 

 January, they visit the islands off the coast in great numbers, and are 

 said even to extend their flight to Tobago, in which latter island they 

 are not resident." 



40. Zeuaida martinicaua, Up. 



" ' Tourt^rellc.' Not plentiful. 



"Length, S , 11^- in.; alar extent, 18; wing, 6^. 



"Length, 9, 11 in.; alar extent, 17; wing, G. 



"In the mangroves bordering the bay of 'Clarke's Comt' estate, near 

 the southern end of the island, 1 found this dove. It was near noon of a 

 very hot day, as the manager and another friend accompanied me into 



