iSSS.] Brewster on Nctv Birds from Mexico and ilie Bahamas.. 83 



in nearly all cases, by careful comparison with the plates in Mr. 

 Ridgway's 'Nomenclature of Colors.' My measurements are in 

 English inches and hundredths. I measure the wing with dividers 

 from the bend to the tip of the longest primary, thus taking the 

 chord, not the curve, of the wing, I measure the tail from the 

 extremity of the oil glands to tlie end of the longest rectrix. 



Ardea virescens frazari,* new subspecies. — Frazar's Green Heron. 



SuBSP. Char. — Similar to A. virescens but rather larger, the general 

 coloring darker, duller, and more uniform ; the neck more purplish, its 

 sides as well as the forehead strongly glaucous ; the light striping on the 

 throat and fore neck more restricted. 



$ ad. (No. 14134, collection of W. Brewster, La Paz, Lower California, 

 Feb. 7, 1S87; M. Abbott Frazar). Top of head and occipital crest dark 

 bottle-green, the forehead with a slight hoarj or plumbeous cast; a narrow 

 stripe of creamy buff", spotted rather thickly and coarsely with dull black, 

 extending down the middle of the throat and fore neck; remainder of head 

 and neck dark purplish maroon, tinged — most strongly on sides of neck — 

 with hoary or glaucous; rest of upper parts nearly uniform dull green, 

 varied, however, by a plumbeous tone on the primaries, a purplish brown 

 tinge on the dorsal plumes, and a narrow rusty edging on both webs of 

 most of the upper wing-coverts; edge of wing rusty white ; lining of wing, 

 under wing-coverts, and the lower parts generally, plain slate-gi-ay. Wing, 

 7.04; tarsus, 2.22; culmen from feathers, 2.52. 



A second specimen (J ad. La Paz, Feb. 14, 18S7) is precisely similar 

 in coloring to the bird just described. It measures, wing, 7.37; tarsus, 

 2.28; culmen from feathers, 2.50. 



Habitat. Near La Paz, Lower California. 



Although the points of difference between this bird and true 

 A. virescens are not easily expressed, they are nevertheless 

 apparent on the most casual comparison, or, indeed, without any 

 comparison whatever. The deeper, more purplish maroon of 

 the neck with its decided glaucous tinge, is perhaps the best 

 character of the new form. None of the specimens in the 

 National Museum from the west coast of Mexico show any 

 approach to frazari., all being apparently true virescefis. 



Ardea bahamensis, new species. — Bahama Green Heron. 



Sp. Char. — Smaller than A. virescens; the general coloring much 

 paler, browner, or yellower, and more uniform ; the forehead strongly 

 tinged with brownish ; the light edging of the secondaries broader; the 

 dorsal plumes and rump only slightly, sometimes not at all, greenish. 



$ ad. (No. 108,819, collection Nat. Mus., Watlings Island, Bahamas, 



*To M. Abbott Frazar of Watertown, Mass. 



