80 KNOWING BIRDS THROUGH STORIES 



see him except at a distance, but I did hear his unearthly 

 noise. This is a bird we knew locally as the thunderpump. 

 In reality this bird is a bittern, and he fishes along the 

 banks of streams very much as did my green heron; but 

 he feeds more like a duck, putting his long bill down in 

 the mud and feeling about for worms, snails, and anything 

 he may be lucky enough to find. He gives utterance to a 

 heavy rumbling noise that can be heard for a long way. 

 As both birds lived along this creek, and as the thunder- 

 pump was so shy that I did not get to see him when I 

 would creep up carefully to find out what was making 

 the thundering noise and as I often found the shitepoke, 

 I was sure that he was the bird. 



The shitepoke is found over a very large part of our 

 country. He does no harm, living as he does a quiet se- 

 cluded life and feeding on snails, small fish, etc. In the 

 Middle States he is probably the only long-legged bird any- 

 where near his size that you will find in such locations. 

 Of course there are other herons of similar appearance; 

 but they, instead of being twelve or fourteen inches in 

 height, are two or three feet tall. The shitepoke is found 

 in secluded places and deep in the woods about ponds or 

 along streams. 



Key to the Families of Herodiones 



PLATAI.EID.E — Spoonbills. 



With the upper mandible grooved to the tip, the bill broad and 

 spoon-shaped at its end. 



THRESKIORNITHID.E IbiSCS, 



With upper mandible grooved to the tip, but with bill narrow and 



bent downward, not spoon-shaped at its end. 

 Ardeid^ — Herons. 



With the upper mandible not grooved to the tip, the neck and most 



of the head feathered, and the hind toe on a level with the others. 

 CicoNiiDiE — Storks and Wood Ibises. 



Like Ardeid*, but with the head and part of the neck bare, and 



the hind toe elevated. 



