522 Mr. E. Gibson on the OrnUhoJogy of [Ibis, 



Indians themselves have been enlisted in the nefarious 

 plunie-traffic, and that winter visitors and tourists to the 

 capital (Asuncion) are keen competitors with the local 

 traders. 



I have nothing to add to my former notes on the nesting- 

 habits of the Snowy Egret. My egg-book gives the last 

 record in 1886, when it was nesting in community with the 

 Roseate Spoonbill in a colony situated in the Cisneros 

 canadon. 



The average measurement of the eggs is 54 x 40 mm. 



320. Butorides cyanuriis Vieill. Little Blue Heron. 



Adult male. Iris yellow. Bare parts round the eyes and 

 base of bill bright greenish-yellow. Bill dark brown, 

 shading into black at tip. I<iegs and feet olive-green. This 

 bird has a curious sulphur-coloured tuft of down on the 

 i)reast and thighs. 



Female as above, except that the bill is black instead of 

 dark brown, with the under edge of lower mandible pale 

 yellow. 



That I should have overlooked the occurrence of this little 

 Heron from 1872 to 1899 is possil)le, but hardly seems 

 credible. Yet, when my local observer, Francesco Roldan, 

 brought me one of a pair in Marcli of the last-named year, 

 the species was a complete novelty to us both. Roldan 

 informed me it was one of a pair, and looked very small as 

 it sat huddled up on a rush beside clear water, in a deep 

 Canada. On taking to flight, it uttered a harsh powerful 

 note. What happened to Roldan was, that after placing 

 the dead bird in the bows of the boat, he was hurriedly 

 changing his position for a shot at its mate, when he slipped 

 and fell, with the result that the gun was discharged, singeing 

 the present specimen and blowing a considerable hole in the 

 side of the boat. 



Perhaps three or four were observed in the course of the 

 next four years. In 1904 I secured one of a pair : " Female. 

 Notes on iris, bill, and feet similar to above. Soles of feet 

 bright saflFron. Claws dark brown." The two following 



