Bulletin - United States National Museum - si-pddr - Smithsonian ...

60 BULLETIN 133, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM
blue heron. They were seen in flight to various feeding grounds at
dusk. At a large lagoon at Kilometer 110 they were fairly common
and were encountered among rushes, from which they flushed with a
low note that resembled took xook.
In the Guarani language the species was known as hoc.6. The
adult was called nhe ha na by the Anguetes, while the bird in barred
immature plumage was known as ca pi a tik.
IXOBRYCHUS INVOLUCRIS (Vieillot)
Ardea involucris Vieillot, Eucyc. Meth., vol. 3, 1823, p. 1127. (Paraguay.)
Azara's least bittern is similar in haunt and habit to the least
bittern of the West Indies and the United States, so that it may be
more common than would appear from the few occasions on which I
encountered it. On October 31, 1920, at the Estancia Los Yngleses,
near Lavalle, Buenos Aires, while wading about in water nearly to
my knees, I saw three among rushes in a caiiadon. The birds were
wild, flushed at a distance of 60 meters, and flew rapidly away above
the marsh vegetation, to drop down again when at a considerable dis-
tance away. A male was killed at long range on this date and one
was taken on November 2. Another was seen November 9, The
birds appear light in color when flying and are of surprisingly rapid
flight for a bird of this group. At Carhue, Buenos Aires, one flushed
from a clump of cattails in an arroyo on December 15 and one was
seen the following day. One was recorded at the Laguna Castillos,
south of San Vicente, Uruguay, on January 31, 1921.
Family CICONIIDAE
JABIRU MYCTERIA (Lichtenstein)
Ciconia mycteria Lichtenstein, Abhaudl. Kon. Akad., Wiss. Berlin (Phys.
Klass.) for 1816-17, 1819, p. 163. (Brazil.)
At the Eiacho Pilaga, Formosa, two jabirus were seen on August
16, 1920, as they soared at least 1,000 meters above the earth. The
birds, in appearance snow white with dark heads, turned in short
circles with set wings, and finally sailed away out of sight. At Puerto
Pinasco, Paraguay, on September 3 one passed high overhead. I had
no other opportunity to observe this species.
MYCTERIA AMERICANA Linnaeus
Mycteria americana Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. 10, vol. 1, 1758, p. 140.
(Brazil.)
On November 16, 1920, a flock of 12 wood ibis was noted between
Lavalle and Santo Domingo, Buenos Aires; the species was seen
nowhere else in Argentina. At the Laguna Castillos, below San