12 A PRELIMINARY LIST OF THE 



Order HERODIONES. 



Family PLATALElDiE. spoonbills, ibises. 



Genus tantalus. 



T. loculator (Linn.). Wood Ibis. 



This bird appears to have a very wide range over the United 

 States, but has not been reported from iSew England. A pair 

 lived for several weeks a few miles east of Burlington and one 

 of them was shot and is now in the collection of the University. 



Family ardeid^e. herons, bittern. 

 Genus botaurus. 



B. lentiginosus (Mont.). American Bittern. 



Not uncommon in meadow and swampy land, where it nests. 

 Summer resident. 



B. exilis (Gmel.). Least Bittern. 



Formerly not uncommon in several parts of the State, but it is 

 now quite rare. 



Prof. Jesup reports it as " Not rare summer resident" in New 

 Hampshire. 



Genus ardea. 



A. herodias (Linn.). Great Blue Heron. 



This is not an uncommon bird in the wilder parts of the State, 

 especially in the vicinity of Lake Champlain. It is a summer 

 resident and breeds here. 



A. virescens (Linn.). Green Heron. 



This is our most common heron and it nests in many parts of 

 the State. 



Genus nycticorax. 



iV. nycticorax ncuvius (Bodd.). Night Heron. 



This species is reported by some observers as rare, by others as 

 common. It probably is not usually very abundant anywhere in 

 the State. Summer resident. 



Order PALUDICOLi^. cranes, rails. 

 Family' gruid^e. 

 Genus grus. 



G. americanus. Whooping Crane. 



This bird appears to be extinct in this State. Thompson re- 

 ports it as " Being occasionally seen during its migration." Dr. 

 Cutting says " Scarce, more so than formerly." It is many years 

 since a specimen has been taken in Vermont. 



