Todd: The Birds of the Isle of Pines. 189 



and neck and dark back and wings characteristic of this stage. In- 

 dividuals in first nuptial dress are like the adults except for the dusky 

 mottling of the head and neck, which persists from the juvenal 

 plumage, and similar indications on the subterminal portion of the 

 cuter primaries. Several of the immature birds above recorded show 

 scattered white feathers in the dark areas, but I am not sure that such 

 indicate the onset of a moult; they were more probably acquired at the 

 same time with the others, showing as they do the same degree of wear. 

 This is one of the commonest and most characteristic water-birds 

 of the island. Although of course not found in the dry parts of the 

 interior, it is generally distributed wherever there is water, particularly 

 about the coastal lagoons and the larger streams, where it affects the 

 mangrove growths. It is naturally very abundant in the Cienaga, 

 flocks of forty or fifty having often been seen near Pasadita by Mr. 

 Zappey. This observer says that the inhabitants sometimes catch 

 and tame the young birds, which will associate with the domestic 

 fowls and feed on table scraps. Mr. Link found the White Ibis very 

 numerous at the western end of the Cienaga, near Siguanea, in 

 October and April, at both of which seasons it was observed in flocks. 

 No nests were found, nor yet any very young birds. Its food consists 

 of crabs, snails, frogs, and lizards. Its flesh is regarded as very good. 



24. Mycteria americana Linnaeus. Wood Ibis. 



Tantalus loculalor Cory, Cat. W. Indian Birds, 1892, 89 (I. of Pines, in geog. distr.). 



— Bangs & Zappey, Am. Nat., XXXIX, 1905, 189 (I. of Pines, ex Cory). 

 Mycteria americana Cooke, Bull. Biol. Survey, No. 45, 1913, 22 (I. of Pines, ex 



Cory). 



There is of course no reason why the Wood Ibis should not occur in 

 the Isle of Pines as well as in Cuba, but the only published record is 

 the very indefinite one above quoted. It was described to Mr. Link 

 by one of his guides as having been seen on one occasion near the Casas 

 Mountains shortly after the close of the Spanish War, but none have 

 been observed for man)' years. 



25. Phoenicopterus ruber Linnaeus. Flamingo. 



Phcenicopterus ruber Cory, Cat. W. Indian Birds, 1892, 88 (I. of Pines, in geog. 

 distr.). — GuNDLACH, Orn. Cubana, 1895, 255 (I. of Pines). — Bangs & Zappey, 

 Am. Nat., XXXIX, 1905, 189 (Punta del Este and Bibijagua). — Cooke, Bull. 

 Biol. Survey, No. 45, 1913, 10 (I. of Pines, ex Gundlach). 



Although the Flamingo is attributed to the Isle of Pines by Mr. Cory, 

 presumably on the authority of Gundlach, as well as by Gundlach 



