46 



SMITHSONIAN MISCELLANEOUS COLLECTIONS 



VOL. 72 



taken place. On the sixth key no Cerions were found, l)ut there 

 was secured the new clapper rail which has since heen described 

 as Ralliis loiii^irostris licliiis, by I^r. Oberholser. Here, also, the 

 ])ictures of the Ward's heron (Ardea herodias ivardi) nest and 

 young- were taken. This key might really be called Rail Key. In 

 the seventh no Cerions were found, but the great white heron 

 {Ardea occidentalis) was found breeding", and it was here that 

 we secured our photographs of this bird and the specimen, which 

 was shipped to the Zoolog'ical Park at Washington by parcel post 

 from Kev West. It is believed that this is the first time this species 



Fig. 46. — Young great white heron (.Irdca occidi-nlalis) in 

 the nest in a mangrove thicket. 



has been shown in any zoological garden. The eighth and last 

 key is a mere clump of mangroves without Cerion possibilities. 



On the evening of the 12th the ex])editi()n headed for Key West. 

 A large collection of Cerions was made near the Bureau of Fisheries 

 station, to be used for breeding ])urposes at the Tortugas. 



A new set of ex])eriments was started on Loggerhead Key, Tor- 

 tugas. Ninety cages of bronze wire, 2' x 3' x 3' high, were con- 

 strticted in which were placed one s])ecimcn each of two species. In 

 addition to this nine cages 6' x 8' x 3' high were l)uilt, in which 50 

 each ol the two species were placed. 



( )n the 10th op])ortunity presented itself to return to Key West on 

 a sul)niarine chaser. 



