DIRECTORY TO BIRDS OF EASTERN NORTH AMERICA. 103 



2. CORY'S LEAST BITTERN, A. neoxexa. Differs 

 from 1 in having the lower parts uniform reddish-chestnut 

 and in being darker above. Southern Fhi. ; Ontario ; Mich. ; 

 rare. 



B. HERONS. Ardeidae. 



Tail feathers, twelve stiffened. Either head, lower neck 

 in front or back, and sometimes all three provided with 

 plume-like feathers in the breeding season, absent in adults 

 at other times and in the young. Lower neck behind quite 

 well feathered. Sexes similar. Nests, placed in trees, com- 

 posed of sticks; eggs, 3-5, greenish-blue. Flight, direct; 

 wing-beats, slow. Usually gregarious when breeding, fig» 

 119. 



a. Large Herons. Ardea. 



Size, large. Head, neck, and back plumes, present, lance- 

 olate ; barbs not spreading nor elongated. Neck and legs, 

 long. Solitary when not nesting, fig. 119. 



1. GREAT WHITE HERON, A. 

 Large, 47.00; bill, 6.50; pure 

 white ; bill and iris, yellow; 

 feet and space in front of eye, 

 greenish. Occurs on the low, 

 mud-bordered Fla. Keys; no- 

 where very common ; rare in 

 the interior of the state as far 

 north as Lake George; acci- 

 dental in Cuba and Jamaica. 

 Breeds in March, nesting on 

 low trees. 



2. WURDEMAN'S HERON 

 A. WURDEMANI. Size of 1 ; 

 differs i n being bluish ash 

 above, in having streaks of 

 black on sides below, streaks 



of black and rufous on neck I, B, a. 3. 1-12. 



in front, and bend of wing, and tibia, chestnut; top of head, 



OCCIDENTALIS. 



119. 



