BIKDS OF ONTARIO. 23 



GENUS HERODIAS. 



(*) ( J 9 6 ) American Egret. 



(Herodias egretta.) 



A wanderer from the south. About half a dozen specimens have 

 been taken at various points in the Province. 



GENUS EGRETTA. 



(*) ( 1 97] Snowy Heron. 



(Egretta candidissima.) 

 An accidental visitor to our southern border. 



GENUS BUTORIDES. 



(201) Green Heron. 



(Butorides virescens.J 



A regular though never a common summer resident of Ontario. It 

 appears to be generally distributed, but is more frequently found breed- 

 ing in the swamps near Lake Erie than elsewhere. 



GENUS NYCTICORAX. 



(202) Black-crowned Night Heron. 



(Nycticorax nycticorax naevius.) 



A regular and in places a common summer resident. They breed in 

 the interior of the Province in communities. 



As they are quite nocturnal in their habits, they are not often ob- 

 served even where they are common. 



GENUS NYCTANASSA, 



(203) Yellow-crowned Night Heron. 



(Nyctanassa violacea.) 

 One taken at Toronto by Mr. John Maughan. 



Order PALUDICOL^. (Cranes, Rails, etc.) 



Wading- birds. The head rather compressed than globose. Bill 

 hard and not sensitive, not adapted for probing in the mud. The hind 

 toe little elevated. Omnivorous feeders. 



FAMILY GRUID^. (THE CRANES.) 



Very large birds, with the legs and neck extremely long. Winy? 

 large, rather short. Tail short. Head more or less naked, with scattered 

 hairlike feathers. Plumage compact without downy tracts. Bill as long- as 



