84 BULLETIN" 155, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Resident, common; most abundant in the lowlands but ranging 

 along streams into the high interior. 



The green heron is the most widely distributed of its family in 

 Hispaniola as it ranges in mangrove swamps, lakes, and marshes, 

 or along streams wherever it may find food and cover. Because 

 of its small size it is comparatively little disturbed and so is usu- 

 ally very tame. It may be expected to occur anywhere that there 

 is water. 



Though common these birds are not truly gregarious, and in fact 

 are inclined to resent too close approach of another of their own 

 kind. Along the Riviere Cul-de-Sac near Damien, "Wetmore ob- 

 served two fighting petulantly until one dropped into the water 

 when it swam a few strokes before it reached shallows that per- 

 mitted it to wade. The voice of this heron is a rude squawk ut- 

 tered in a protesting tone when it is disturbed in any way. 



At Caracol, Haiti on April 27, 1927, one was seen with a large 

 crayfish which it only swallowed after several unsuccessful attempts. 

 Bond reported nests at Trou Caiman in June. Descourtilz, who 

 records this heron at Pont de l'Estere on April 16, 1799, says that 

 it was called valet de caiman because it is believed by the country- 

 men to warn the caiman by its cries of the approach of danger. 



On May 10, 1927, this heron was the most common of its kind 

 along the lower Yuna near where that stream empties into Samana 

 Bay. A nest found was a flattened structure of twigs built on a 

 projecting tree limb about six feet above the water. An adult 

 crouched at the side of this rude platform which contained two 

 fresh eggs. These are glaucous-green and measure 39.5 by 29.5 

 and 39.9 by 29.5 mm. Another set of two taken by Abbott near 

 Jean Rabel Anchorage on June 3, 1917, came from a nest placed 

 twenty feet from the ground in a tree growing near the beach. 

 The male parent was taken on the nest. The eggs in this second 

 set are lighter in color than the two described above as they are 

 pale glaucous-green. They measure 40.1 by 39.5 and 38.6 by 29.8 

 mm. 



Following are measurements from our series of skins from His- 

 paniola : 



Seven males, wing 162.0-168.5 (166.3), tail 53.0-62.0 (56.9), cul- 

 men 51.5-63.0 (56.9), tarsus 45.8-55.0 (48.4) mm. 



Five females, wing 165.0-172.0 (169.4), tail 55.5-61.2 (58.6), cul- 

 men 53.9-61.5 (57.3), tarsus 45.9-51.5 (48.7) mm. 



The adult green heron is dull greenish above, darker on the head, 

 with wing coverts edged with buffy; the sides of the neck and 

 breast are deep rufous, with a line of white mixed with dusky 

 down the foreneck; the abdomen is gray. Young birds have the 



