346 AMERICAISr GAME BIRD SHOOTIIfG. 



Two species of crane are indigenous to the Continent, 

 namely, the white or whooping crane, and the sand-hill 

 crane. The plumage of the former is pure white, the 

 bill dusky-greenish, the head carmine, and the legs black. 

 The second, which is smaller than its congener, is 

 plumbeous-gray in color. 



The herons are quite numerous and move in immense 

 sedges in some jDortions of the Southern and Pacific 

 States. The best known is the great blue heron, which 

 is about four feet in length when full grown. The adults 

 of both sexes are grayish -blue above; the neck is pale 

 purplish-brown, with a white throat-line; the head is 

 black, and has a white frontal patch; the under parts are 

 mainly black, streaked with white; the bill and eyes are 

 yellow, and the legs greenish. The little blue heron is of 

 a slaty-blue color, but inclined to be purplish on the 

 head and neck; the bill is blue; the eyes are yellow, and 

 the legs black. The young are white, but they can be 

 easily distinguished from the young of the snowy heron 

 by their bluish tracings and the color of the bill and feet. 

 The great white heron is pure white; the bill, eyes, and 

 legs are yellow, the latter being greenish in front. The 

 great white egret, or white heron, has very long plumes 

 of feathers, which droop over the tail, during the breed- 

 ing season. The bill and eyes are yellow, and the legs 

 black. The little white egret resembles the preceding. 

 The bill and legs are mainly black, and the eyes and toes 

 yellow. The Louisiana egret is slaty-blue on the back 

 and wings, and chiefly white below; the bill is black and 

 yellow, and the legs yellowish-green. The reddish egret 

 and green heron may be recognized by their markings. 

 The egrets are shot principally for their plumes, which 

 command a good price in the markets of the civilized 

 world. They do not come under the head of game 

 birds, and are mentioned only to comj)lete the list of 

 the Ardeidm, 



