78 BULLETIN" 15 5, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



in the past and have led to the destruction of untold thousands. 

 There is little definite data as to the former abundance of the snowy 

 heron in Hispaniola, but it is probable that it was common and has 

 been reduced in numbers by plume hunters as in Cuba and Porto 

 Rico. 



The snowy heron is one of the smaller species to be confused 

 mainly with the white immature stage of the little blue heron, from 

 which it is distinguished by entirely white primaries when in the 

 hand, and when alive by the black legs and black bill, the latter 

 being yellow only at the base. It is much smaller than the egret; 

 the one taken by Abbott measured 565 mm., with the wing 252 mm. 



DICHROMANASSA RUFESCENS RUFESCENS (Gmelin) 

 REDDISH EGRET, GARZA 



Ardea rufescens Gmelin, Syst. Nat., vol. 1, pt. 2, 1789, p. 628 (Louisiana). 



Ardea rufa, Cory, Bull. Nuttall Ornith. Club, 1881, p. 154 (Haiti, seen) ; 

 Birds Haiti and San Domingo, Dec, 1884, pp. 152-153 (specimens). — Tippen- 

 hauer, Die Insel Haiti, 1892, p. 323 (listed). 



Ardea rufescens, Cory, Cat. West Indian Birds, 1892, p. 89 (Haiti, Dominican 

 Republic). 



Dichromanassa rufescens, Danforth, Auk, 1929, p. 360 (Artibonite). 



Dichromanassa rufescens rufescens, Bond, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 

 vol. 80, 1928, p. 520 (listed). 



Apparently a rare resident in Haiti and the Dominican Republic. 



Cory in 1881 reports several seen without mentioning definite 

 locality, later (1885) remarking " probably resident in San Domingo. 

 Several specimens were taken." The only specimen that we have 

 seen is a female in white phase taken by Abbott at the eastern end of 

 Lake Enriquillo on October 2, 1919. He informs us that he saw birds 

 in the reddish phase but is now uncertain as to the locality. Dan- 

 forth reports two seen on the Artibonite Sloughs above St. Marc 

 July 29, 1927. 



Examination of a small series of these herons in the United States 

 National Museum collection, including five adults from various 

 localities in Lower California but only three from the eastern part 

 of the range of the species (one from Florida and two from Cozumel 

 Island), bear out the contention of Van Rossem in describing 

 Dichromanassa rufescens dickeyi 25 as new that birds from Lower 

 California are darker on the head and neck. Part of our series from 

 Lower California however have the tips of the dorsal plumes pale as 

 in the eastern birds. 



The reddish egret, a species larger than the little blue heron or 



^Dichromanassa rufescens dickeyi Condor, 1926, p. 246. (San Luis Island, Lower 

 California.) 



