Chap. 3. 



BIRDS OF VERMONT. 



105 



THK WHOOPING CRANE. 



THE NIGHT HERON. 



THE GREAT HERON. 



cordinor to Dr. Richardson, breeds on the 

 coast of Hudson's Bay. Its nest is rude- 

 ly made of grass in marshes, and tlie eggs 

 are 4, dusky, spotted with black. This 

 plover is only occasionally met with in 

 Vermont, along the shores of our lakes 

 and ponds. The specimen from which 

 the above description and figure were 

 drawn was shot in Burlington, in Sep- 

 tember, 1841. 



Genus Grus. — Pallas. 



Generic Characters. — Bill a little longer 

 than the head, strong, straight, compressed, atten- 

 uated, and obstnse at the point : ridge of the bill 

 elevated ; mandibles with a wide furrow on each 

 side of the base ; nostrils in a furrow in the mid- 

 dle of the bill, pervious, posteriorly closed by a 

 membrane ; feet \unst and robust, naked for a large 

 space above the Unee, middle toe united to the 

 outer one by rudiinental membrane, hind toe artic- 

 ulated high on the tarsus; wings moderate 2d, 

 3d, and 4ih primaries longest, secondaries i)road- 

 er than the primaries, tail short, of 12 feathers. 



THE WHOOPING CRANE. 

 Gr7/s americana. — Temm. 



Description. — The forehead, crown 

 and cheeks covered with orange colored 

 warty skin, with a few black hairs; hind 

 head ash-color ; the rest of the plumage 

 pure white, e.xcept the primaries, which 

 are brownish black ; bill and iris yellow, 

 legs and naked part of the thighs black. 

 From the base of each wing arise numer- 

 ous large flowing feathers, which project 

 over the tail and tips of the wings, some 

 of them being loose and webbed like those 

 of the Ostrich; length 48, bill 6, height 

 %0.—j\uUall. 



History. — This bird is one of the larg- 

 est of the feathered tribes in the United 

 States, and is known in Vermont only by 

 being occasionally seen during its migra- 

 tions. It is common in summer in the 

 fur countries where it breeds. Its two 

 eggs are bluish white and as large as 

 those of the swan. When wounded, says 

 Dr. Richardson, he has been known to 

 put the fowler to flight and fairly drive 

 him from the field. 



Genus Ardea. — Linn. Tern. 



Generic Characters. — Bill long, robust, 

 straight, pointed, compressed to an edge, the ridge 

 rounded; U[iper mandible slightly furrowed ; nos- 

 trils lateral, basal, situated in the furrow, and half 

 closed by a membrane ; orbits and lores naked ; 

 legs long, slender, lower part of the thighs without 

 feathers ; middle toe united to the outer one by a 

 short membrane ; hind toe on the same level with 



the other three ; wings of moderate dimpnsions, 

 obtuse ; 1st primary nearly equal to the 2d and 3d, 

 which are longest ; tail short, rounded, containing 

 10 or 12 feathers. 



THE NIGHT HERON. 



Jlrdea nycticorax. — Wilson. 



Description. — General color nearly 

 white ; front, occipital feathers and line 

 over the eye pure white ; crown, back 

 and scajjulars greenish; tail coverts, wings 

 and tail pale ash ; lower parts yellowish 

 cream-color ; legs )'ellowish green ; bill 

 black, 4.^ inches along the gap. Without 

 crest in autumn. Young hrown streaked 

 with rufous white. Length 28, spread 

 A8.—jXutt. 



History. — Vermont is about the limit 

 of the northern migration of this Heron, 

 and here it is rare. It is usually called 

 the Qua Bird. It breeds all along the 

 Atlantic coast to the southward of New 

 England. They build their nests in trees 

 in the retired parts of swamps, and fre- 

 quently there are two or three nests on 

 the same tree. The eggs, about 4, are of 

 a pale greenish-blue color, and as large 

 as those of the common hen. 



THE GREAT HERON. 



Jlrdea Herodias. — Linn^us. 

 Description. — Gfneral color grayish 

 ash ; crest brownish, the middle of the 

 feathers striped with whitish ; back of the 

 neck ash ; small feathers on the wings 

 edged with ferruginous ; feathers on the 

 neck and breast white in the centre, edg- 

 ed with brown, giving a striped appear- 

 ance ; thighs naked some distance above 

 the knees ; feathers on the upper part of 

 the thighs bulT; legs brownish, tinged 

 with yellow ; chin, cheeks and sides of 

 the head whitish ; quills slate color; tail 

 a little longer than the I'bkled wings ; gen- 

 erally two tapering feathers in the crest 



