1A.2 Scott ou Botaurua neoxenus. [April 



mined, much additional light is thrown on this little known form. 

 Captain Men.i^c saw, besides the specimens he procured for me, 

 some eight individuals, one pair of which were breeding and 

 had young and have already been referred to in this journal, Vol. 

 VIII, p. 309. The male about to be described is not the dark 

 bird of this pair, neither of which was taken by Captain Menge, 

 but he tells mc that in coloration one of the birds of the pair was 

 identical with it, and that he has seen others of similar color. 

 The other bird of this pair was in color like the type of B. 

 neoxenus. In view of the new material and of the foregoing in- 

 formation, I believe that the four individuals heretofore collected 

 are probably all females. Appended is the description of the 

 three additional individuals, making a total of seven birds so far 

 known of this species. 



Adult male, No. 11,449, collection of W. E. D. Scott, taken three miles 

 south of Lake Okeechobee and thirty miles east of Ft. Thompson, Florida, 

 June 28, 1891, by Capt. J. F. Menge. General appearance throughout, 

 both above and beneath, dark greenish black. The feathers of the lower 

 neck alone having traces (edgings) of dark chestnut, their centres being of 

 the greenish black tone pi'evailing throughout the bird. The belly is 

 greenish black with no traces of chestnut, and the axillary feathers are 

 greenish black. The central feathers of the belly near the vent, two or 

 three in number, are pure white. The feathering of the legs is blackish 

 chestnut, and on the right leg there are a number of cream-colored or 

 whitish feathers. 



No. 11.450, collection of W. E. D. Scott, taken at Lake Flirt, Florida, 

 Aug. 15, 1891, by Capt. J. F. Menge, is a young bird of the year, and is 

 like Mr. Cory's original specimen save that the entire belly is still cov- 

 ered with white feathers of a downy character and that the first primary 

 of the right wing is pure white throughout; one of the axillaries of the 

 left wing also is pure white. The legs where they are feathered are 

 smoky brown in color behind, and pure white in front. 



No. 11,451, collection of W. E. D. Scott, taken at Lake Flirt, Florida, 

 July 15, 1891, by Capt. J. F. Menge (believed by Capt. Menge to be a 

 female) is very like Mr. Cory's original bird save that there are traces on 

 the sides of the back of lines, much obscured, but of a general brownish 

 tint, thus approaching Botaurus exilis. 



In view of the small amovmt of material so far extant it may be 

 premature to hazard an opinion regarding this bird, but I feel im- 

 pelled to record the strong impression that I entertain, that it 

 will ultimately be found to be a color phase of Botaurus exilis. 



