DORIPONUS. 169 



sides of breast, head, ornamental nape plumes and dorsal plumes 

 bright lavender-grej, somewhat paler on the latter ; a line down the 

 middle of the throat, breast, abdomen, under tail-coverts, sides of 

 the body, axillaries, and under wang-coverts rich chestnut, some of 

 the short scapulars also edged with the same colour ; forehead, sides 

 of hinder face, and lower hind-neck glossy black; sides of neck deep 

 maroon ; throat, on either side of the central chestnut line, white. 



Total length 690 mm., culmen 156, wing 273, tail 113, tarsus 107, 

 middle toe and claw 67. 



The description of the male is taken from a specimen collected 

 on the Ituribisi River. 



Adult female. Similar to the adult male. 



Total length 760 mm., culmen 139, wing 263, tail 84, tarsus 94, 

 middle toe and claw 67. 



The young bird differs from the adult in having the hind-neck, 

 sides of neck, upper back, and upper wing-coverts rust-brown ; 

 under parts white or buffy-white, streaked with dark brown or 

 blackish. This example was obtained on the Abary River. 



Breeding-season. Unknown in British Guiana. 



I^est. " The natives say that it nests in the trees " [ScJiomlurgh^ . 



Eggs. Undescribed from British Guiana. 



Range in British Guiana. Upper Takutu Mountains, Ituribisi 

 River, Bonasika River, Abary River [McConnell collection') ; 

 Takutu River, Kamakusa, Kamarang River ( WJiitelg) ; Barra- 

 manni (Beehe). 



Extralimital Range. North Brazil, Cayenne, Trinidad, Peru, 

 Colombia, Central America to Mexico. 



IJahits. Schomburgk remarks (Reis. Guian.iii.p. 753) that this 

 very beautiful Heron seems only to prefer the thick, swampy, 

 coast-woods. He only observed it in these woods, especially on 

 the borders of the small brooks, and particularly in Aruka. Here 

 they frequently sit with their necks drawn in, perched n)Ostly on 

 trees growing near the brook. He had not been al)lo to observe 

 its nesting-habits ; the natives say that it nests in the trees. The 

 '* Warraus" call it Okoh. 



The following note is quoted from Mr. Beebe (Our Search for 

 a AVihlerness, p. 219) : — " Agami Herons, beautiful in their 

 plumage of glossy green, chestnut and blue, were standing here 

 and there in the shallows snatching the insects from the petals as 

 they floated past." 



