The Anthony Green Heron 



deep, reduced in extent; back feathers unmodified, plain, glossy greenish; wing-coverts 

 broadly margined with ochraceous, some of the feathers, with the outer scapulars, 

 having wedge-shaped tips of buffy or whitish; underparts whitish, striped with greenish- 

 and reddish-dusky, most heavily on sides of breast and neck. [The foregoing description 

 applies almost equally well to typicus, which is little if any darker than extreme examples 

 of this form; but anthonyi tends to paleness, especially in the less intense chestnut of 

 the neck and sides of breast, in the more extensive white of the throat and breast 

 centrally, and in the paler slaty of the remaining underparts. Moreover, anthonyi 

 is a somewhat larger bird than B. virescens virescens, although the difference at no 

 point exceeds 7% of the former.] Length 406.4-470 (16.00-18.50); average of 15 

 males: wing 196 (7.72); tail 72.8 (2.97); bill 61 (2.40); tarsus 53.9 (2.12). Female 

 slightly smaller. 



Recognition Marks. — Crow size; chestnut and greenish coloration above. 



Nesting. — Nest: A platform of sticks placed at moderate heights in bushes of 

 swamp, or trees of neighboring orchards, etc. Eggs: 3 to 8, 9 of record; pale bluish 

 green. Av. size 38.1 x 29.2 (1.50 x 1. 15). Season: May; one brood. 



Range of Butorides virescens. — United States south to Central America and the 

 West Indies. 



Range of B. v. anthonyi. — Southwestern United States and Mexico. Breeds 

 from California, northern Lower California, and Arizona, south to Michoacan; winters 

 from southern California to southern Mexico. 



Distribution in California. — Fairly common summer resident by lakes and 

 streams west of the Sierras and in the southeastern portion of the State south to San 

 Diego. Sparingly resident in winter in the San Diegan district, and of record at Stock- 

 ton (Belding). 



Authorities. — Baird (Butorides virescens), Rep. Pac. R. R. Surv., vol. ix., 1858, 

 p. 676, part (Sacramento Valley; Tulare Valley; Ft. Tejon) ; Mearns, Auk, vol. xii., 

 1895, p. 257 (Ardea virescens anthonyi, new subspecies; type locality, Seven Wells, 

 Salton R., Colo. Desert, Calif.); Oberholser, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 42, 1912, 

 p. 543 (syst. ; monogr.); Cooke, U. S. Dept. Agric, Biol. Surv. Bull., no. 45, 1913, p. 58, 

 map (distr. and migr.); Tyler, Pac. Coast Avifauna, no. 9, 1913, p. 21 (San Joaquin 

 Valley; nest and eggs; habits). 



THE ANTHONY Green Heron is perhaps nowhere so common as is 

 the eastern bird virescens, but it is fairly well distributed in California 

 along streams and by lowland waters, save in the northern portion. The 

 bird is essentially solitary in habit and only abundance of fishing will in- 

 duce a few pairs to form a scattered colony for nesting purposes. Arriving 

 early in April, the birds quickly deploy through the swamps and along 

 shaded lagoons, where they lead a furtive, albeit highly prosperous, exist- 

 ence. When surprised at his work of frog-catching, the Heron either rises 

 with a frightened squawk and makes off with quick graceful wing-strokes, 

 or else alights easily upon some midway branch to reconsider the danger. 

 Here he may pace restlessly to and fro along the limb, craning his neck and 

 twitching his tail in a very nervous manner, or he may elect to "freeze" in 

 some non-committal attitude until danger is past. Opportunity is thus 



1908 



