362 l""!!':!.!) MrsHUM OF Natural HrsroRV — Zoology, Vol. IX. 



Voun}^ birds have the head and neck covered with downy feathers 

 and the general pkimage, dark gray; wings and tail, blackish; sexes 

 similar. 



Length, about 48 inches; wing, about 18; bill, about 8.50; tar- 

 sus, 8. 



The Wood Ibis is apparently not uncommon in late summer in 

 southern Illinois, where it was frequently observed by Prof. Ridgway, 

 near Mt. Carmel, and Mr. J. Hurter (Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club, 1881, p. 

 124) found it numerous in August, 1888, in Madison Co., 111., near 

 St. Louis. Dr. Hoy (1853) records a specimen in the Museum of the 

 Wisconsin State Historical Society at Madison, which was shot near 

 Milwaukee, in September, 1852. Kumlien and Hollister consider it a 

 very rare midsummer straggler in Wisconsin and say that in a letter 

 to L. Kumlien, Dr. Hoy stated he had procured a specimen at Racine 

 in September, 1868. They aU-o record a third specimen killed on 

 Rock River between Janesville and Edgerton. (Birds of Wisconsin, 



1 903- P- 33-) 



Suborder HERODII. Herons, Egrets, Bitterns, etc. 



Family ARDEIDt^. Herons and Bitterns. 



About 70 known species belong to this family distributed through- 

 out the world. Many of the true herons are gregarious, while others 



Great Blue Heron. 



Least Bitterri. 



.American Bittern. 



