Widmann — A Preliminary Catalog of the Birds of Missouri. 55 



in the southern states, formerly to southwestern Indiana and 

 Missouri and wandering after the breeding season northward to 

 the more northern states, accidentally to Wisconsin, Maine and 

 Nova Scotia. It winters south of the United States, returning 

 to Louisiana about the middle of March and to Missouri more 

 than a month later (April 30, 1880, Hurter collection). 



Not known to breed in Missouri at present, but appears in the 

 Peninsula in large troops, composed entirely of birds of the year, 

 late in July or early in August, remaining till September. Some 

 of them wander up the Mississippi to the region of the mouth of 

 the Illinois River, irregularly, farther north (Warsaw, 111., 

 Worthen) or along the Missouri River north to southern Nebraska. 

 It has been taken in Platte Co., Mo., opposite Leavenworth, 

 Kan., by Mr. A. Lange, and a specimen in the Kansas City Public 

 Museum was taken near that city. 



*201. BuTORiDES viRESCENS (Linn.). Green Heron. 



Ardea virescens. Shytepoke. Fly-up-the-creek. 



Geog. Dist. — From northern South America, through the 

 West Indies and Central America to southern Ontario, through- 

 out the United States east of the Great Plains and in Cal- 

 ifornia and Oregon. Breeds throughout its range and winters 

 south of the United States. 



In Missouri the Green Heron is a common summer visitant of 

 general distribution not confined to low or swampy regions like 

 other herons, but frequenting wooded streams and ponds, nesting 

 sometimes far away from water on cultivated land, frequently in 

 orchards in small colonies of from six to ten nests on one acre. 

 It arrives in southern Missouri about the 10th of April, in central 

 and northern parts from one to two weeks later (Shannon Co., 

 April 10, 1904; Vernon Co., April 15, 1894; St. Louis Co., April 

 17, 1886; Kansas City, April 18, 1904; Keokuk, average date, 

 April 25) . It leaves the breeding grounds in family groups during 

 September and very few are seen after the first of October. 

 (Latest record October 13, 1896, Keokuk, Currier.) 



*202. Nycticorax nycticorax naevius (Bodd.). Black-crowned 

 Night Heron. 



Ardea naevia. Nyctiardea grisea naevia. Nyctiardea gardeni. Night-. 

 Raven. Qua-bird. Squawk. Quawk. 



Geog. Dist. — Nearly the whole of South America, parts of 

 West Indies, and through the United States to New Brunswick, 



