THE BIRDS OF HAITI AXD THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 73 



observed one on April 27 flying above the landing at Caracol. Abbott 

 found a few on Gonave Island February 18 to 28, 1918, and Beebe 

 reports a breeding colony on January, 1927, on Fregate Island at 

 the eastern end of Gonave. Danforth saw them about Gonave July 

 17 to 20, 1927, and Poole and Perrygo observed two on February 27, 

 1929, in crossing from St. Marc to Anse a Galets. Bond saw them 

 in the Gonave channel, and near Port-de-Paix. Ekman collected one 

 on Navassa Island, reported by Lonnberg, and reports that they nest 

 on this island. 



This species is parasitic in habit, depending for food upon prey 

 taken by force from weaker companions. At San Lorenzo Bay the 

 frigate bird nested adjacent to colonies of terns and pelicans that 

 might serve to capture its food. 



The male frigate bird is entirely black, with a greenish or violet 

 sheen above. On the throat is a bare sac that is brilliant red in the 

 breeding season and may be inflated like a top balloon. At other 

 periods of the year it is shrunken, and is colored orange. The female 

 is dull black, with the breast and foreneck white, and a brown band 

 along the wing coverts. The bill is long and strongly hooked, while 

 the feet and tarsi are extraordinarily small and weak compared to 

 the size of the body. The tail is long and deeply forked. The 

 species varies from 950 to 1050 millimeters in length. 



Order CICONIIFORMES 

 Suborder ARDEAE 



Family ARDEIDAE 23 

 Subfamily Ardeinae 



ARDEA HERODIAS ADOXA Oberholser 



WEST INDIAN GREAT BLUE HERON, GARZON CENICIENTO, CITACO, 

 RECONGO, GROS QTJOCK, LA GIRONDE 



Ardea herodias adoxa Oberholser, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 43, Dec. 12, 

 1912, p. 544 (Curacao Island). — Bond, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 

 vol. 80, 1928, p. 489 (Port-au-Prince, Port-de-Paix, Lake Enriquillo). — Dan- 

 forth, Auk, 1929, p. 360 (Monte Cristi, Aquin, Les Salines, Gonave). — Moltoni, 

 Att. Soc. Ital. Scienz. Nat., vol. 68, 1929, p. 308 (Santiago, specimens). 



Ardca herodias, Cherrie, Field Columbian Mus., Orn. ser., vol. 1, 1896, p. 25 

 (mouth of Rio Ozama).— Tippenhauer, Die Insel Haiti, 1892, p. 323 (listed).— 

 Beebe, Zool. Soc. Bull., vol. 30, 1927, p. 138 ; Beneath Tropic Seas, 1928, pp. 70, 

 218 (one taken, two seen). 



Ardea herodias repens, Peters, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., vol. 61, 1917, p. 397 

 (Rio Yaqui ; between Gaspar Hernandez and Rio San Juan). 



23 Tippenhauer, Die Insel Haiti, 1892, p. 323, lists Ardea occidentalis without comment 

 as found in Haiti. The record is regarded here as erroneous. 



