90 



Birds of Xohth Cakoi.i.na 



with buffy and narrowly margined by brownish gray. Im. — Similar, but huffy everywhere- 

 deeper and more ochraccous. L., 28.00; W., 10.50; Tar., 3.50; B., 3.00. (Chap., Birds o 

 E. -V. .1.) 



Hdnije. — ^Xorth America north to central Canada; winters from Virginia southward to Guate- 

 mala and Porto Rico. 



Rnngr in North Carolina. — -Winter visitor on coast, transient in central jiortion, summer 

 visitor in mountain region. Not yet detected breeding in the State. 



Owing to the retiring habits of this ronuirkaljle bird, it is not often seen by the 

 casual observer even in regions where it is comparatively abundant. Although 

 closely related to the herons, it is more like a rail in its manner of skulking through 

 the tall grass of the marshes it frequents. The solemn, unearthly, sucking cry of 

 this bird, heard from far out upon a lonely inarsli in the late evening, is a note to 

 haunt the memory. 



FlO. 61. UlT-rKKN. 



We do not know that the Bittern breeds in North Carolina, although it is ex- 

 tremely likely that it does. Pearson heard its cries in .June, 1902, i.ssuing from 

 the grassy shallows of Lake Ellis, and a short search on this occasion resulted in 

 flusliing a bird. H. H. and C. S. Brimley have frequently taken the.se birds at 

 Kalcigh l)etwcen the end of March and May 30, and on one occasion in December. 

 Coues saw one at Fort Macon in May, 1871. .Xtkinson recorded it from Chajiel 

 Hill. Cairns foimd it in Buncombe County from April to October. Bishop noted 

 the bird at Pea Island, February 1 1. litOI, and again on ^lay 5, 1902. 



Genus Ixobrychus i^Billb.) 

 78. Ixobrychus exilis {(hud.). Lk.\st BitteuxN. 



Descrijition. — -Male cliicfly glossy black above, brownish yellow below neck, shoulders and 

 wings witli chestnut; a bulfy area on wing-coverts; female with brown instead of black; imder 

 tail-coverts white in lioth sexes. L., 12.7.')-l-l.5(); W'.. 4.42-4.85; T., 1. .50-1. 75. 



Range.— \ironU from southern Canada to Brazil, wint(n-s from the Gulf States southward. 



Range in North Carolina. — •\\'holc State in summer wherever there are marslies. 



