BIRDS — ARDEIDAE BUTOKIDES VIRESCENS. 



677 



late, well defined feathers. Feathers of back and 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 ; the shafts 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 ])arts white, streaked with brown. The coverts more spotted. 



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

 having the neck purplish chestnut instead of ashy. 



Gundlach' describes a species of Butorides from Cuba, (5. brumiescens,) which differs in having 

 the tip of the lower mandible greenish w^iite, 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. 



.irdea irurmesccns, Gdndlacii, Lembeye, Av. Cuba, tab. .\ii. 

 Ocniscua brunnescems. Cab. Journal fiir Orn. IV, 1856, 344. 



