126 



THE BIRDS OF MAINE 



Suborder HERODII. Herons, Egrets, Bitterns, etc. 

 Family ARDEID.E, Herons, Bitterns, etc. 



Key to the species of ARDEIDiE. 



A. Wing under 6.00. 



1. Under parts buffy, streaked. Least Bittern. 



2. Under parts rufous-chestnut. Cory's Least Bittern. (Hopotheti- 



cal List). 



B. Wing over 6.00. 



1. Wing over 13.00. 



§. Plumage white. American Egret. 

 §§. Plumage above grayish blue. Great Blue Heron. 



2. Wing under 13.00. 



§. Wing under 8.50. Green Heron. 

 §§. Wing over 8.50. 



?. Plumage wholly white or only slightly washed with color above, 

 a'. Primaries always white. Snowy Heron. (Hypothetical 



List), 

 a^. Primaries slate color at tips. Little Blue Heron. (Imma- 

 tiu-e). 

 ??. Plumage not wholly white, some parts being strongly colored 

 or marked, 

 a'. Crown white, usually washed with buffy. Yellow-crowned 



Night Heron, 

 a'. Crown either darkish or streaked, 

 b'. Crown streaked. 



c'. Light brown on back ; outer edge of primaries reddish. 



Black-crowned Night Heron. (Immatiure). 

 c^. Dark brown on back ; primaries dark. Yellow-crowned 

 Night Heron. (Immature). 

 b". Crown not streaked. 



c'. Crown umber or reddish brown. American Bittern, 

 c*. Crown not umber, or reddish brown, 

 d'. Crown bluish black. Black-crowned Night Heron, 

 d^. Crown slaty blue. Little Blue Heron. 



Subfamily BOTAURIN^. Bitterns. 



/ Genus BOTAURUS Hermann. 



190. Botauru.s lentig'inosus (Montsig.}. American Bittern; 

 Stake Driver; Indian Hen; Thunder Pump; Bog Hen; Shite- 

 poke. 



Plumage of adults : a blackish stripe each side of neck ; top of head and 

 back of neck bluish slate with buffy suffusions; back and wing coverts 



