26 BULLETIN 326, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



eggs. On Pifiero Island, near Fajardo, there was a colony of about 15 or 20, 

 and these were said to breed there every year. 



The birds usually are seen at low tide wading in the shallow lagoons in 

 water well up to their bodies, where they work slowly along, looking for food ; 

 or are seen flying, two or three together, above the surface of the water. They 

 are nearly always shy and hard to approach. Formerly much hunted for their 

 plumes, they are now so few that the work does not pay, and they are molested 

 only by occasional hunters. 



Food. — The single stomach available for examination contained 4 per cent of 

 vegetable rubbish taken as extraneous matter with the animal food. Remains 

 of one mole cricket (Scaptcriscus didactylus) and seven entire grasshoppers, 

 with fragments of many more, were found, as well as a moth and three large 

 dragon flies. A small goby and seven entire frogs (Lej)todactylus albilabris) , 

 with fragments of others, made up 69 per cent of the contents. Orthoptera 

 amounted to 15 per cent, a surprising fact and one that should be given due 

 weight in considering the status of this species. The egret should be accorded 

 the fullest protection or it will disappear entirely from the avifauna of the 

 island. For its beauty and its destruction of injurious insects it is entitled to 

 preservation. 



WEST INDIAN GREAT BLUE HERON. Ardea herodias adowa Oberholser. 

 Garzon Ceniciento, Garzon Cenizo. 



The great blue heron is tolerably common in suitable localities in the coastal 

 region, but apparently is merely a winter visitant. Gundlach (1878, p. 352) 

 remarks on its nesting in the island in November and January, but gives no 

 definite localities. It may be that the birds occasionally nest here, but the 

 larger part of those found occur only in winter, and the summer stragglers may 

 be nonbreeders. Only two were noted — at Guanica, May 26 — though many 

 favorable localities were visited. The few birds seen were shy, and it was dif- 

 ficult to approach them, as they have been hunted a great deal. Near Mameyes 

 they passed much of the day in the more open portions of the mangrove swamps, 

 where fiddler crabs ( Uca sp. ) were abundant, and they seemed to feed on them. 

 At low tide they flew out to the shallow bays, beyond gunshot, to feed over the 

 reefs, and kept a sharp lookout for intruders. Here they secured small fish 

 and probably crabs. In some localities hunters prize this bird for the table, 

 more because of its large size than its flavor. Although not known to be di- 

 rectly beneficial to agriculture in Porto Rico, it is worthy of protection, as it is 

 not harmful under present conditions. 



[GREAT WHITE HERON. Ardea occidentalis Audubon. 

 Garzon Blanco. 



No actual specimens of the great white heron are recorded, though at one time it may 

 have been found in Porto Rico at least occasionally. Gundlach (1878, p. 354) says that 

 it was reported from various localities, and states that a white heron seen at the border 

 of the Laguna de Guanica (Nov., 1873) was so large that it could have been no other 

 species. Don Tomas Blanco also knew of it near San Juan. Stahl (1883, p. 64) lists it 

 without comment, and later records in literature appear to follow these.] 



LEAST BITTERN. Ixobrychus exilis exilis (Gmelin). 

 Martinete Chico, Martinete. 



The least bittern is a resident species tit present found only in a few locali- 

 ties along the coast. One was seen December 22 near Rio Piedras and at the 

 Laguna de Guanica May 26 they were fairly common.. Gundlach (1878a, p. 

 161) found them at Mayaguez, Arecibo, and along the Rio Toa at Dorado. 

 One was taken at Porto Real (near Cabo Rojo) January 27, 1899, by Dr. J. D. 



