on the Birds of San Doniinr/o. 341 



a picturesque, high, rocky coral island, covered with large 

 trees thickly hung with luxuriant creepers. These trees 

 were occupied by a heronry of some hundi'ed or more birds 

 o£ this species. Through my glasses I could make out many 

 nests, some with the birds sitting upon them, while other 

 birds were grouped about the trees, making altogether a 

 picture not to be forgotten. I could not land, and did not 

 get a chance of visiting the spot again. The long plumes of 

 this Egret are occasionally sent by the merchants of Sanchez 

 to New York for sale, and are said to realize a high price. 



-f 51. Nyctiardea n.evia. 



I met with this species many times in the Yuna morass. e) 

 The only specimen I preserved was an immature bird, which 

 I shot one evening as it flew over in the twilight while I was 

 flight-shooting in the Yuna delta. 



52. NuMiDA MELEAGRis. Locally " Guinea.^^ q 

 The Guinea-hen is a common bird in San Domingo, both 



in the domesticated and wild state. Occasionally in the 

 drier parts of the Yuna swamp a covey of these birds, very 

 wild when on the wing, aftbrded me good sport. The wild 

 birds seemed smaller and much blacker than the tame ones. 



53. Erismatura, sp. inc. (?). Locally " Pato.^' 



The chief aim of several of my never-to-be-forgotten 

 excursions into the morass at the mouth of the Yuna was 

 ducks, and ducks we found in hundreds. 



It was easy to discover them, often long before we first 

 sighted them on some open patch of water perhaps a quarter 

 of a mile away, by the whistling that they kept up ; and by 

 all of us kneeling down in the boat, except the man whose 

 duty it was to scull her along, we soon managed to get 

 within shot. After packing together and swimming away 

 for a while, the Ducks would begin to rise, those nearest 

 first. Then was the orthodox moment, and we emptied our 

 barrels into them. Well do I remember my astonishment, 

 on the first of these trips, to see the greater part of the Ducks 

 remaining on the water after we had fired, instead of rising 

 in a body. They seemed to be dazed and demoralized. 



