Todd : Ornitholoov oi' Haiiama Islands. 411 



United States specimens in being slightly more brownish on the ab- 

 domen, while their average size is a trifle less, but these differences 

 seem scarcely worthy of nomenclatural recognition. They are quite 

 distinct from the Bahaman bird, however. The pale color of the 

 latter Messrs. Thayer and Bangs attribute to bleaching in an arid 

 habitat, and they furthermore belittle the value of color-characters 

 in this species. The present series tends to invalidate this objection, 

 since all the specimens are in comparatively fresh plumage; moreover, 

 the young birds differ in the same way. It may be added that every 

 one of the Bahaman birds shows decidedly broader edgings to the 

 wing-coverts than any continental examples seen, although this is 

 well known to be an extremely variable character in this species. 



Adult: "iris straw-color; legs pale yellowish." 



Young (No. 30804), still showing remains of the natal down ad- 

 hering to the crown and back feathers: "iris pale straw-color; bill 

 pale yellowish horn, base and culmen blackish; naked skin at base, and 

 feet and legs, pale yellowish green." This individual, from Alfred 

 Sound, Great Inagua, February 15, indicates that the species breeds 

 very early in the season. Another specimen, from Mathewtown, 

 February 24, is marked as having the testes much enlarged, and evi- 

 dently breeding or about to do so, although it has not yet acquired 

 the adult nuptial plumage, which is indicated merely by a few of the 

 long green dorsal feathers just coming in, and grayish feathers on the 

 abdomen. A bird from New Providence, January i, is somewhat 

 further advanced. 



9. Nycticorax nycticorax naevius (Boddaert). 



Four specimens: Great Inagua (Calefavor Pond, 6 miles east of 

 Alfred Sound). 



All young birds in the streaked plumage, with remains of the natal 

 down still adhering to the crown feathers. The species must nest 

 very early in the season. "Iris yellow; legs pale greenish." 



10. Nyctanassa violacea (Linnaeus). 



Two specimens: Great Inagua (Calefavor Pond, 6 miles east of 

 Alfred Sound); Watlings Island. 



11. Ajaia ajaja (Linnaeus). 



Five specimens: Great Inagua (Calefavor Pond, 6 miles east of 

 Alfred Sound), 



In a chick only a few days old, and covered with pure white down, 



