BIRDS OF THE BAHAMA ISLANDS. 1 69 



down the front of the neck ; under parts, white ; rump, white, con- 

 cealed by the pale purplish plumes of the back ; tail and wings, slaty 

 blue, the outer feathers of the former somewhat pale at the base; 

 more than tcnniual third of bill black, the rest sky dine, shading into 

 lilac at the base, the latter color extending to the eye ; legs, slalc- 

 color ; iris, red. 



Length 24, wing 10, tail 3, tarsus 4, bill 4.35. 



This species is very nearly allied to A. Icucogastra vai'. Icnco- 

 prymna, the main point of difference between them being in the bill. 

 The plumage of the Bahama bird is also somewhat darker, and the 

 legs and feet slate-color. These features were constant in every 

 specimen taken. That this coloration of the bill is not simply 

 during a high stage of plumage is shown by the fact that Audu- 

 bon and other w^riters who found the Louisiana Heron breeding, 

 described the bill as black and yellow. During the summer months 

 these birds were very abundant at Inagua, and upon our arrival in 

 May, we found them breeding in large communities near Roller 

 Key. They were not at all shy, and we procured a large number of 

 specimens, all of which had the same peculiar coloration of the bill. 

 The nest is a rough construction of sticks, generally built within a 

 few feet of the water, and contains from two to four eggs of a 

 pale blue color. None were observed on any of the other islands, 

 although I looked carefully for- it everywhere. 



