80 BULLETIN 15 5, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Cayemite Island is in immature dress and probably indicates breed- 

 ing in that locality. Bartsch reports the Louisiana heron near Glore 

 on the Etang Saumatre April 3, 1917, at Trou Caiman April 4, and 

 from the salt-flats north of Port-au-Prince April 25. Beebe saw 

 three near Port-au-Prince during a period of three months in 1927, 

 and records them also at Source Matelas January 13 and March 21, 

 and at the fitang Miragoane. 



Wetmore found this species common in the marshes of the Etang 

 Miragoane April 1, 1927, observed several in the coastal lagoons near 

 Aquin April 3, and one on the open beach near Cap-Haitien April 

 26. On April 28 in passing by airplane at a very low altitude above 

 the mangrove-bordered lagoons south of Gonai'ves he recorded many 

 with multitudes of other herons. He noted approximately four hun- 

 dred of the present species rising from shallow water in one opening 

 in the swamps. Danforth in 1927 saw it at Port-au-Prince, Aquin, 

 Etang Miragoane, Gona'ives, Les Salines, Cap-Ha'itien and Anse a 

 Galets, Gonave Island. Bond, who found the species at the Etang 

 Miragoane, Trou Caiman, Port-de-Paix, Fort Liberte and on Gonave 

 Island considered it the most common heron of Haiti with the excep- 

 tion of the green heron. Poole and Perrygo collected two males at 

 Fort Liberte February 12 and 18, 1929. 



The Louisiana heron is confined entirely to the lowlands where, as 

 has been indicated, it is found usually in the coastal lagoons but may 

 range also in fresh-water marshes when these are extensive. It is 

 largely restricted to marshy and swampy habitats and is seldom 

 found feeding in the dry fields so often frequented by other small 

 herons. 



This species has the upper parts largely dark slate, with buffy 

 tips to the dorsal plumes; throat white, with more or less chest- 

 nut on the foreneck; breast mingled slaty and white and abdomen 

 entirely white. The bird measures from 600 to 660 mm. in length. 

 Among a group of birds characterized by thin form the Louisiana 

 heron is more slender and elongated than any of the others here 

 treated, so that it is distinguished at a glance by its long thin neck, 

 long bill, and slender legs. 



FLORIDA CAERULEA CAERULESCENS (Latham) 



LITTLE BLUE HERON, GARZA AZITL, GARZA BLANCA, CRABIER, CRABIER 

 BLEU, CRABIER NOIR, CRABIER BLANC, 0.U0CK, 0.U0CK BLANC, METIS 



Ardea caerulescens Latham, Index Orn., vol. 2, 1790, p. G90 (Cayenne). 

 Metis, Descourttlz, Voy. Nat., vol. 2, 1809, pp. 224-227 (Haiti). 

 Crabier Bleu, Descourtim, Voy. Nat., vol. 2, 1S09, pp. 229-230 (Haiti). 

 Little Blue Heron, Beebe, Beneath Tropic Seas, 1928, p. 108 (fitang 

 Miragoane). 



