34<5 GRALL^E. ARDEAD^E. 



bird, the trachea is weak, and destitute of convo- 

 lution or enlargement, save at the divarication of 

 the bronchi. 



A specimen was shot in April, in the spotted 

 plumage, which is supposed to indicate youth. It 

 fell into the water, wounded, where it began to 

 swim, the head erect, and the body no more im- 

 mersed than that of a duck ; it struck out with 

 both feet, and made rapid way towards the roots 

 of a mangrove near, on reaching which it jumped 

 out of water, and ran up, but was then secured. 

 In this state it is sometimes called the Guinea-hen 

 Quok, from the white spots on the grey ground ; 

 and I am not sure that it is not distinct. One that 

 was shot in May in this plumage, a female, had 

 eggs in the ovary as large as pepper-corns. 



Mr. Hill mentions to me as indigenous Ardeadce, 

 besides such as have come into my hands, the 

 Great Heron (Ardea Herodias), the Great White 

 Heron (Egretta leuce ? ), the American Bittern (Bo- 

 taurus minor), and the Roseate Spoon-bill (Platalea 

 ajaja). 



The first of these was not an unfamiliar visitant 

 in the vicinity of Bluefields, being often seen 

 by myself and others at early dawn on the sea- 

 shore, and at the edges of the mangrove swamps. 

 Once or twice we have known a particular tree 

 on which the bird roosted, and Sam has repeatedly 



