220 



ZOOLOGY. 



The purple gallinule (Porphyrio martinica) has the head, 

 neck, and under parts of a beautiful purplish blue, becom- 

 ing darker on the belly. It inhabits the South Atlantic 

 and Gulf States. With it is associated the Florida galli- 

 nnle (Gallinula galeata). Allied to Porphyrio is the New 

 Zealand Notornis (Fig. 259). 



Allied to the gallinules is the "giant" or Oallinula 

 gigantea (Fig. 26U), which formerly lived in the Mascarene 



Islands, having been observed as late 

 as 1694. It stood two metres (over six 

 feet) high. With it was associated a 

 large blue gallinule — Porphyrio (JS r o- 

 tornis?) coerulescens — which was last 

 seen on the Isle Bourbon between 1669 

 and 1672. It was incapable of flight, 

 but ran with exceeding swiftness. 



The cranes are of great stature, the 

 legs and neck very long, with the head 

 sometimes curiously tufted. The white 

 or whooping crane (Grus Americanus) 

 is pure white, and is about 50 inches 

 long, while the brown or sandhill crane 

 (Gms Canadensis) is smaller and the 

 adult plumage is leaden gray. With 

 the true herons are associated the 

 night herons and the bitterns of the 

 United States, the boat-billed heron of 

 Central America, and the odd Balami- 

 ceps rex of Africa, which has an enor- 

 mous head and broad, large bill. The 

 FlG ' 26 °Mlurit'i'us. iant " ° f American bittern (Botaurus lentigi- 



nosus) nests on the ground. The night 

 heron or squawk (Nyctiardea grisea) is common in sum- 

 mer in the Northern States; it is about two feet in length 

 and has two very long plumes arising from the base of the 

 head. The great blue heron (Ardea hcrodias) is about four 

 feet in length, and the general color above is grayish blue. 



