﻿432 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol. lOo 



little effect on its distribution. While usually in singles, up to five 

 individuals could be seen in one day. It was recorded during every 

 month of the year. As birds in adult plumage were rarely seen, 

 it seems that the species probably did not breed within the study 

 area. 



BUBULCUS IBIS IBIS (Linnaeus) 



Ardea ibis Linnaeus, Systema naturae, ed. 10, vol. 1, 1758, p. 144 (Egypt). 



SPECIMEN COLLECTED 



1 cf, Cantaura, August 25, 1948; gonads not much enlarged, testes 11 mm.; 

 iris pale yellow, bill and facial skin rich chrome-yellow, feet yellow-brown above 

 "hock" ( = ankle), shading to brown below; gizzard contained grasshoppers; bird 

 in good condition, not thin; skull well ossified. 



The specimen has none of the long buffy plumes on the back that 

 are characteristic of many of the herons, and there is only a faint 

 tinge of buffy on the crown, occiput, and nape. It was taken from 

 a flock of four following a small herd of cattle on the open savanna, 

 about half a mile from the nearest pond. The species was never 

 before recorded by the collector. 



Apparently this is the third specimen of this Old World heron to be 

 taken in Venezuela, the two previous examples having been obtained 

 in the states of Guarico and Carabobo in 1943 and 1947, respectively 

 (Phelps, Bol. Soc. Venez. Cienc. Nat., vol. 10, 1946, p. 230; Dupouy, 

 Mem. Soc. Cienc. Nat. La Salle (Caracas), ano 7, No. 19, 1947, pp. 

 174-179). The species was first recorded in the Western Hemisphere 

 m British Guiana in 1937 (Blake, Auk, vol. 56, 1939, p. 470). It 

 has been found also in Surinam (Haverschmidt, Auk, vol. 64, 1947, 

 p. 143). 



This bird was easily recognizable in life, as it was the only small 

 white heron with a yellow bill to be found in the area. Moreover, 

 its habit of walking immediately behind cattle was a striking field 

 mark. In flight the wing beat appeared to be quicker and shallower 

 than that of similar herons. 



CASMERODIUS ALBUS EGRETTA (Gmelin) 



Ardea Egretta Gmelin, Systema naturae, vol. 1, pt. 2, 1789, p. 629 (Santo Domingo, 

 Falkland Islands, South America to Louisiana). 



specimen collected 



1 9 , Cantaura, December 29, 1947; gonads slightly enlarged; iris and facial 

 skin pale yellow, bill rich yellow, feet black. 



Although not in full breeding condition this specimen has some of 

 the long dorsal plumes. 



Though recorded in all types of habitat in the vicinity of water, 

 savanna ponds formed the preferred habitat of this egret. It was 

 the commonest heron in the study area, recorded throughout the year 



