Todd: The Birds of the Isle of Pines. 183 



Only two of the above are fully mature; the others all show more or 

 less brownish suffusion on the posterior under parts, a condition very 

 well marked in No. 39,932 (Nueva Gerona, December 31), which 

 approaches B. brunescens very closely in this respect, and is moreover 

 entirely purplish brown above. 



The two adults, together with a few examples from other localities, 

 included for comparison, measure as shown in table on page 182. 



In discussing the relationships of the Bahaman form of Butorides 

 virescens not long since (Annals Carnegie Museum, VII, 191 1, 410), 

 I ventured the opinion that the West Indian bird was scarcely or not 

 at all separable from the typical form. More recently, since the 

 receipt of the specimens above recorded, I have been led to look into 

 the question anew, in the light of the rather startling conclusions 

 reached by Mr. Oberholser in his late revision of the races of this 

 species {Proceedings U. S. National Museum, XLII, 1912, 529-577). 

 It is not my purpose at this time to critically review the paper in 

 question, lacking as I do sufficient material to serve as a basis for a 

 full discussion, but merely to call attention to several points suggested 

 by the study and comparison of these specimens. Mr. Riley (Smith- 

 sonian Miscellaneous Collections, Quarterly Issue, XLVII, 1904, 278) 

 Was apparently the first to note the somewhat smaller size and slightly 

 different coloration of the Green Heron of the West Indies, for which 

 he adopted the subspecific name maculata Boddaert. Later Mr. 

 Clark {Proceedings Boston Society of Natural History, XXXII, 1905, 

 234) and Messrs. Thayer and Bangs {Bulletin Museum Comparative 

 Zoology, XLVI, 1905, 143) confirmed Mr. Riley's observations as to 

 the smaller size from independent investigation. Mr. Oberholser 

 now proposes to split up the birds from the Greater and Lesser Antilles 

 into no less than eight different races, based on slight variations in 

 color and relative proportions, the only alternative (so he claims) 

 being to merge all the West Indian birds, including even those from 

 the Bahama Islands, with true virescens. Our present concern is 

 with the bird of the Isle of Pines, which, together with those of Haiti 

 and Porto Rico, Mr. Oberholser refers to the Cuban form, which he 

 calls cubanus. This is described as smaller than true virescens, with 

 the neck and sides of the head usually lighter, more rufescent, less 

 purplish, and the abdomen also averaging paler. From maculatus, 

 which name is restricted to the bird of Martinique, it is said to differ 

 in its smaller size (except the bill), and in its darker, less purplish neck 



