92 BULLETIN 15 5, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



Eudocimus albus, Cost, Birds Haiti and San Domingo, Dec., 1884, pp. 150-151 

 (Dominican Republic, recorded). — Tippen hatter, Die Insel Haiti, 1892, pp. 317- 

 322 (listed).— Cheisty, Ibis, 1897, pp. 337-338 (Yuna, Barrancota, speci- 

 mens). — Lonnbekg, Fauna och Flora, 1929, pp. 98-99 (Haiti, specimen). 



Guara alba, Coby, Oat. West Indian Birds, 1892, p. 88 (Haiti, Dominican 

 Republic). — Vereill, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, 1909, p. 355 (abun- 

 dant).— Bond, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadelphia, vol. 80, 1928, p. 491 (Etang 

 Miragoane). 



Resident ; now rare. 



In the Dominican Republic the white ibis was first reported by 

 Cory who noted it as a winter visitant and probably a resident. As the 

 species is not known to migrate, except for local shifting of individu- 

 als with the seasons, his statements with regard to its fluctuating 

 numbers are difficult of interpretation. The bird seems to have been 

 most common always in the swamps at the head of Samana Bay, 

 and there it remains today in small numbers. Christy reported it 

 as very common in 1895 on both the Yuna and the Arroyo Bar- 

 rancota. The coco has always been one of the game birds of the 

 island, and Christy informs us that several times he shot thirty or 

 forty in one hunt during the brief period of evening twilight. 

 Verrill found the birds common and said that they were excellent 

 eating. A pair that he collected March 1, 1907, near Sanchez are 

 in the J. H. Fleming collection. Tristram possessed a specimen 

 taken in the Dominican Republic by A. S. Toogood. In the collec- 

 tions forwarded by Abbott there are four skins, two in adult and 

 two in immature plumage, that were taken near Sanchez, February 

 3 and 6, 1919. A female taken on the date last mentioned contained 

 eggs nearly ready to lay. According to Hartert, Kaempfer collected 

 an immature male in the Yuna swamps on October 1, 1922, for the 

 Tring Museum. Wetmore observed several near the mouth of the 

 Yuna on May 10, 1927, and on May 16 recorded one along the same 

 stream at Villa Riva. Abbott found a few on Lake Enriquillo near 

 Duverge October 1 to 6, 1919. 



In Haiti the "Gru blanche" of Descourtilz, which he said flew in 

 V-shaped flocks in the marshes, and was so rare that he se- 

 cured only four in five years' hunting, was probably this species. 

 One is reported by Ritter, and Tippenhauer remarks of this bird 

 that it was sought eagerly for its flesh. Bartsch reported one at 

 Trou Caiman April 4, 1917. Bond writes that it is not uncommon 

 at the fitang Miragoane but did not find it elsewhere. 



The white ibises are now shy and difficult of approach, so that they 

 are noted usually as white birds with black-tipped wings and long 

 curved bills that fly with outstretched necks across the sky, or rest 

 in the tops of distant trees. The immature individuals are distin- 



