104 



NATURAL HISTORY OF VERMONT. 



Part I. 



THE GREEN HERON. 



THE UPLAND PLOVER. 



5 or 6 inches long. Length of the speci- 

 men from which the above description is 

 drawn, from tlie point of the bill to the 

 extremity of the tail, 4G inches; height, 

 when standing, 40 inches ; length of the 

 bill, from the angle of the month, 7 in. ; 

 folded wing 10 ; tarsus 7.^ ; longest toe 5. 

 History. — The Great Blue Heron is 

 frequently seen in the neighborhood of 

 lake Champlain. The specimen from 

 which the above description was drawn 

 was shot near Burlington, and is now in 

 the Museum of the College of Natural 

 History ofthe University, They are said 

 to rear their young in companies, making 

 their nests with sticks in the tops of tall 

 trees. The eggs, usually 4, are larger 

 than those of the hen, light green, and 

 unspotted. 



THE GREEN HERON. 

 Jlrdea vircsccns. — Linn. 



Description. — Color ofthe back, tail, 

 crown and wings dark glossy green, ap- 

 proacliing to black ; wing feathers mostly 

 tipped with white; wing coverts and scap- 

 ulars tipped and edged with white and 

 ferruginous ; neck above and on the sides 

 dark wine color ; chin and line under the 

 angle of the mouth, white ; throat and 

 under side of the neck, with the feathers, 

 white, tipped or margined with brownish ; 

 belly brownisli white; lore and iris briglit 

 yellow ; bill black, lighter beneatii and 

 yellowish towards the base; legs and feet 

 greenish yellow ; feathers on the back of 

 the head and neck long; tail short, con- 

 sisting of 12 feathers ; the 1st and 4th pri- 

 maries a little shorter than the 2d and 3d, 

 which are longest. Length ]7 inches ; 

 spread 23 ; folded wing 7^ ; bill from the 

 angle of the mouth 3 ; along the ridge 

 24 inches. 



History. — The Green Heron, better 

 known by a more disgusting name, is very 

 common in many parts of the state. It 

 seems to prefer the solitude of swamps 

 and marshes, wliere it feeds upon fishes 

 and reptiles, and also upon dragon flies 

 and other insects. It builds its nest upon 



trees, and lays 4 blue eggs. They come 

 from the south about the first of May, and 

 return in October. 



Genus Totahus. — Bech. Tcmm. 



Generic Characters. — Bill of moderate 

 length, straight, or a little recurved, flexible at 

 the base, hard and acuminate at the point ; both 

 mandibles furrowed on each side to the middle; 

 nostrils in the furrow, basal, linear and pervious ; 

 legs long and slender ; feet with three anterior 

 Iocs, the exterior united to the middle one, some- 

 times lo the second joint ; wings of medium 

 length ; tail of 12 feathers, generally short. 



THE UPLAND PLOVER. 



Totanus Bartramius. — Temminck. 



Description. — General color above 

 blackish, the feathers edged with tawny 

 rufous; lower part ofthe back and upper 

 tail coverts pitch black ; wings brownish 

 black above, shaft of the first primary 

 white, and most of tlie primaries with con- 

 cealed white spots or bars on tlieir inner 

 webs; chin and belly white; under tail 

 coverts tinged with rufous; brownish 

 sagittate spots on the breast and sides; un- 

 der sides of the wings barred and waved 

 with brown and white ; tertials long ; bill 

 blackisli above and at the point, yellow- 

 ish below ; tongue sagittate; 1st primary 

 longest; length 12 inches ; spread ofthe 

 wings 22 inches; bill from the angle of 

 the mouth IJ inch. 



History. — This species was first de- 

 scribed by Wilson, wlio named it Bar- 

 tramius in honor of his friend Bartram. 

 It is quite common in the western parts 

 of this state during the summer, and 

 resides princiiially in meadows, feed- 

 ing upon grasshoppers and other insects. 

 Its nest is made upon the ground usually 

 in a little clump of bushes. They are a 

 shy bird- and quite plain in appearance 

 when seen at a distance, but closely view- 

 ed their colors appear beautifully variega- 

 ted, especially beneath. They live for 

 tlie most ])art, in pairs or families. 



