AEDEA. 171 



on most of the rivers of the coast of Guatemala among the mangrove-swamps, and 

 secured eggs near Yzabal. Mr. Eichmond and Mr. Nutting both noticed the Green 

 Heron abundantly in Nicaragua, where, however, the first-mentioned observer considered 

 the bird to be a winter visitor only; he first noticed specimens early in October. It 

 breeds in some of the Antillean islands and in Trinidad. 



A. virescens is not so gregarious as some of the other North-American members of 

 the genus, and the bird never breeds in companies with its own kind, but nests along 

 with the Night-Herons and other species of Ardea. Dr. Brewer says that two nests of 

 the Green Heron are seldom found in proximity to each other. 



In habits this bird does not differ from other small Herons. It feeds at night as 

 well as by day, and is very expert in catching the fish which form its principal prey, 

 though likewise devouring frogs, lizards, and insects which frequent the marshes. 



The nest is a somewhat large structure for the size of the bird, and is built in trees, 

 being a slight framework of sticks lined with smaller twigs. The eggs are two or three 

 in number, rarely four. ' 



8. Ardea agami. 



Le Heron Agami, BufE. Hist. Nat. Ois. vii. p. 382 \ 

 Ardea agami, Gm. Syst. Nat. i. p. 629 ". 



Agamia agami, Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxvi. p. 135 ' ; Bangs, Auk, 1901, p. 25 *. 

 Agamia picta, Scl. P. Z. S. 1862, p. 369 'j Sumichr. La Nat. v. p. 233'; Zeledon, An. Mus. Nac. 

 Costa Rica, i. p. 131 (1887) \ 



Supra saturate viridis, scapularibus extus castaneis, plurais dorsalibus ornamentalibus pulchre cinereis, longi- 

 oribus apieem versus margaritaceis ; remigibus et rectricibus schistaceis, extus viridi lavatis ; pileo 

 pulchre scbistaceo, cristam nuchalem versus margaritaceo-cinereo ; facie laterali et collo lateral! et postico 

 nigris, boo clare cinereo lineolatim striatis ; gula alba, medialiter vinaceo-castaneo striata ; colli lateribus 

 vinaceo-castaneis, plumis filameutosis clare cinereis ornatis ; gutture medio vinaceo-castaneo, utrinque 

 albo longitudinaliter marginato ; prsep.ectore pulchre margaritaceo-cinereo, medialiter nigricanti-plumbeo ; 

 corpore reliquo subtus vinaceo-castaneo ; maxilla brunnescenti-nigra, mandibula et regione nuda facial! 

 flavis ; iride flava. Long, tota circa 32'0, alse 10'4, caudse 4-0, culm. 5-8, tarsi 3'75. (Descr. maris adult! 

 ex E. Takuta, Brit. Guiana. Mus. nostr.) 



Juv. Brunnea, collo et tectricibus alarum pallidioribus ; pileo nigricante ; remigibus et rectricibus schistaceis, 



pauUo viridi lavatis ; facie laterali et coU! lateribus brunneis ; gula alba, medialiter castaneo lineata ; 



gutture medialiter castaneo, utrinque ochraceo longitudinaliter marginato, vix nigro variegato ; corpore 



' reliquo subtus ochrascente vel albido, plumis utrinque nigro striolatim marginatis ; pedibus olivaceo- 



viridibus. (Uescr. av. juv. ex Veragua. Mus. nostr.) 



Hah. Mexico^, Rio Coatzacoalcos, Tuxpango near Orizaba {Sumichrast^); British 

 Honduras {Blancaneaux ^) -, Guatemala, Peten [Sarg ^) ; Costa Eica, Pozo Azul 

 de Pirris {Zeledon''); Panama, Veraguas {E. Arce^), San Miguel in the Pearl Is. 

 {Brown*). — Guiana^; Brazil ^j Amazonia 3. 



A. agami, remarkable for its extraordinarily long bill and for the diversity of its 

 plumage, is everywhere rare in Central America, though it has been recorded from 



22* 



