﻿252 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  wing 
  coverts, 
  and 
  the 
  outer 
  edges 
  of 
  the 
  wing 
  quills 
  chestnut, 
  the 
  rest 
  of 
  

   the 
  neck 
  and 
  the 
  under 
  parts 
  in 
  general 
  varying 
  from 
  light 
  huffy 
  to 
  brownish 
  

   yellow, 
  the 
  chin 
  and 
  throat 
  varied 
  with 
  whitish; 
  bill 
  pale 
  yellow, 
  turning 
  

   to 
  blackish 
  along 
  the 
  culmen; 
  lores 
  yellowish 
  green; 
  legs 
  green; 
  eyes 
  and 
  

   toes 
  yellow. 
  Female: 
  Similar 
  to 
  male, 
  but 
  brown 
  where 
  he 
  is 
  black 
  and 
  a 
  

   broader 
  stripe 
  of 
  buffy 
  on 
  the 
  scapulars. 
  Young: 
  Similar 
  to 
  female, 
  but 
  

   the 
  feathers 
  of 
  the 
  upper 
  part 
  tipped 
  with 
  buff. 
  

  

  Length 
  11-14.25 
  inches; 
  extent 
  18; 
  wing 
  4-5.25; 
  tail 
  2; 
  tarsus 
  i. 
  5-1. 
  75; 
  

   middle 
  toe 
  and 
  claw 
  1.7-2. 
  

  

  Field 
  marks. 
  The 
  very 
  small 
  size 
  of 
  this 
  little 
  heron 
  together 
  with 
  its 
  

   buffv 
  and 
  black 
  coloration 
  will 
  serve 
  to 
  distinguish 
  it 
  as 
  it 
  flies 
  low 
  over 
  

   the 
  flags 
  of 
  the 
  marsh, 
  or 
  stands 
  immovable 
  among 
  the 
  sedges. 
  Its 
  presence 
  

   in 
  the 
  inarsh, 
  however, 
  will 
  more 
  often 
  be 
  determined 
  in 
  the 
  breeding 
  season 
  

   by 
  its 
  mellow 
  cuckoolike 
  call, 
  "coo-coo-coo''' 
  from 
  the 
  depths 
  of 
  the 
  marsh. 
  

  

  Distribution. 
  The 
  Least 
  bittern 
  is 
  locally 
  common 
  as 
  a 
  summer 
  resident 
  

   in 
  the 
  marshes 
  of 
  Long 
  Island, 
  the 
  Hudson 
  valley 
  and 
  the 
  region 
  of 
  Lakes 
  

   Erie, 
  Ontario 
  and 
  the 
  central 
  chain. 
  It 
  must 
  occur, 
  also, 
  on 
  the 
  marshes 
  

   o£ 
  Lake 
  Champlain, 
  but 
  I 
  can 
  find 
  no 
  definite 
  records 
  to 
  this 
  effect. 
  It 
  

   is 
  apparently 
  rare, 
  or 
  absent 
  in 
  the 
  upland 
  counties, 
  but 
  there 
  are 
  reliable 
  

   records 
  from 
  Springville, 
  Cincinnatus, 
  Owego 
  and 
  other 
  localities 
  where 
  

   there 
  are 
  no 
  extensive 
  marshes. 
  Its 
  proper 
  range 
  is 
  tropical 
  and 
  temperate 
  

   America 
  as 
  far 
  north 
  as 
  Maine 
  and 
  Manitoba, 
  and 
  it 
  winters 
  from 
  Florida 
  

   southward. 
  It 
  arrives 
  from 
  the 
  south 
  from 
  the 
  7th 
  to 
  the 
  20th 
  of 
  May 
  on 
  

   Long 
  Island, 
  the 
  earliest 
  record 
  being 
  April 
  27th. 
  In 
  western 
  New 
  York 
  

   it 
  arrives 
  from 
  May 
  loth 
  to 
  the 
  20th, 
  and 
  leaves 
  for 
  the 
  south 
  September 
  ist 
  

   to 
  15th, 
  sometimes 
  remaining 
  as 
  late 
  as 
  October 
  loth. 
  

  

  The 
  Least 
  bittern 
  is 
  our 
  smallest 
  member 
  of 
  the 
  family, 
  and 
  is 
  of 
  shy 
  

   and 
  gentle 
  disposition, 
  remaining 
  hid 
  in 
  the 
  long 
  grass 
  of 
  the 
  marshes 
  and 
  

   feeding 
  on 
  insects 
  and 
  small 
  aquatic 
  animals. 
  It 
  is 
  sometimes 
  seen 
  flying 
  

   low 
  over 
  the 
  marshes 
  but 
  usually 
  travels 
  on 
  foot, 
  making 
  its 
  way 
  through 
  

   the 
  rank 
  grass 
  of 
  the 
  marshes 
  with 
  great 
  ease. 
  It 
  cHmbs 
  through 
  the 
  grass 
  

   from 
  stalk 
  to 
  stalk 
  and 
  rarely 
  wades. 
  The 
  nest 
  is 
  built 
  among 
  thick 
  sedges, 
  

   or 
  cat 
  -tails 
  several 
  inches 
  above 
  the 
  water, 
  poorly 
  supported 
  upon 
  the 
  grow- 
  

   ing 
  plants, 
  and 
  is 
  often 
  flooded, 
  or 
  beaten 
  down 
  by 
  storms. 
  It 
  is 
  a 
  rather 
  

  

  