128 



HERONS AND BITTERNS. 





188. Tantalus loculator Lhut. Wood litis. yl(/.— Ileud nnd neck 

 bare; primaries, secondarie.s, uiul tail glossy grieiiish lilack, rest of plumage 

 wliite. lui. — Head more or less feathered; head and neek grayish brown, 

 hlaeker on the najuj ; rest of j)lumage as in the adult, hut more or less marked 

 witii grayish ; wings and tail le.ss greenish, h., 4U-UU; W., l8(Ki; Tar., 7(iO; 

 IJ. from N., b-OU. 



Range. — Tropical and subtropical America ; breeds in the (Julf States, and, 

 after the l)reeding sea.><on, wai\ders irregularly northward, sometimes reaching 

 Kansas, Wisconsin, Indiana, i'eiuisylvania, and N'ew York. 



Washington, A. V., two specimens. Long Island, A. V. 



I\e»ty a platform of sticks in trees. Kijij><^ two to three, dull wliite with a 

 soft calcareous deposit, U'To x 1-75. 



This is a locally common species in Florida. 





Sr' , 



Family ARDEiDiE. Herons and Bitterns. 



This family contains about seventy-five species distributed in most 

 parts of the globe, but more numoroiisly in the intertropical i-egions. 

 Generally speaking, Herons are gregarious, nesting and roosting in 

 flocks. While feeding thoy are more solitary, but each night they 

 regularly return to roost with their kind in a " rookery." Bitterrjs do 

 not associate in flocks, and are generally found singly or in pairs. As 

 a rule, they feed in grassy marshes, while Herons more commonly 

 resort to the shores of lakes, rivers, bay.s, or salt-water lagoons. Some 

 species secure their food of frogs, fish, small reptiles, etc., by standing 

 rigiuly motionless and waiting for it to come within striking distance, 

 or by wading for it with the utmost caution. Others run rapidly and 

 noisily through the water, trusting to their agility and the rapidity of 

 their spearlike thrusts to supply their wants. Herons, unlike our 

 Ibises and Cranes, fly with their folded neck drawn in between their 

 shoulders. Their voice is a hoarse squawk. 



KEY TO XnK SPECIES. 



I. Wing over 13-00. 



A. Plumage pure white. 



a. Wing 17'00 or over; feathers on the lower neck long, narrow. 



192. GiJEAT White IIeuon. 

 • h. Wing under 17'00; neck-fcathors not lengthened . lOG. Am. Euuet. 



B. Upper parts generally slaty or grayish blue. 



193. Waud's IIerox. 194. Great Blue Heron. 

 11. Wing under 1300. 

 1. Crown without streaks. 

 A. Crown white or whitish. 

 a. Wing over 11*00. 

 a>. Plumage entirely or mostly white . . . 198. Reodisii Ecret. 

 a*. Plumage gray streaked with black ; throat and sides of neck 

 black 203. Yellow-crowneu Nioiit Heron. 



