85 



SUBSPECIES. The Black-crowned Night Heron occurs in both eastern and western 

 hemispheres. The New World bird under the name of American Black-crowned Night 

 Heron N. n. ncevius is subspecifically distinct from that of the Old World. 



This is a rather heavily built Heron which though not without some 

 beauty and grace lacks the fine, slender lines of most of the Herons and 

 resembles the Bitterns in build. Its habits are a composite of those of the 

 Great Blue and the Green Heron. 



The Yellow-crowned Night Heron Nyctanassa violacea, also, occasion- 

 ally occurs in Canada, but is too rare to require more than passing mention. 

 The adult is generally a slate-grey bird, sharply streaked on the back with 

 black and has a conspicuously black and white head. The juvenile is so 

 similar to the Black-crowned that it is distinguished with difficulty, but 

 its head is darker than the back and there is no trace of rufous on the 

 primaries, which close inspection reveals on the young Black-crown. 

 Juvenile Yellow-crowns should only be recorded in Canada with caution. 



Economic Status. Its food is similar to that of the Green Heron and 

 its status is much the same. 



Order — Paludicolse. Marsh Birds. 



General Description. This is a poorly defined order, including a number of families 

 of waders that can be referred to neither the Herons nor the Shore Birds, but superficially 

 resemble both. They are birds having four long, well-developed toes, without webs, and 

 legs adapted for wading. They are best defined by subfamily description. The Canadian 

 species are divided into two sub-orders: Grues, including Cranes, Courlans, etc.; and 

 RcUli, including Rails, GaJlinules, and Coots. Of the Grues only the family, Gruidoe, 

 Cranes, is represented in Canada. 



SUBORDER— GRUES. CRANES AND COURLANS. 



As the Courlan, family Aramidce, does not occur in Canada, we are 

 interested only in the one family, GruidcB Cranes. As far as Canada is 

 concerned, this suborder may be called the "Large Marsh Birds," a term, 

 however, which has no other warrant than that of convenience. 



FAMILY — GEUID^. CRANES. 



General Description. Large heron-like birds; dull, slaty-blue with rusty overwash; 

 or pure white, with black primaries. All colours are in even, over-all, tiats and the birds 

 have no plumes nor crests. 



Distinctions. Distinguished from the Herons by having the forehead and the space 

 about the eye bare, or with a sparse sprinkling of peculiarly modified hair-like feathers 

 and by the lack of pectinations on middle claw (see Figure 19, p. 21) ; biU is smaller pro- 

 portionally than that of Heron but more heavily built, in both material and shape 

 (compare Figures 18 and 20, p. 21). 



Field Marks. Cranes fly with outstretched neck instead of with head drawn into 

 the shoulders as do the Herons, and contrary to the habits of Herons they commonly 

 feed in flocks on upland fields. 



206. Sandhill Crane. Grus mexicana. L, 40. Very similar to the Great Blue 

 Heron, but without plumes at any season. An even blue-grey colour all over with a 

 washing of rusty red or brown, strongest in the juvenile stages. 



Distinctions. Distinguished from the Great Blue Heron by its bare forehead, etc., 

 as described under preceding heading (compare Figures 18 and 20, p. 21). Otherwise it 

 can only be confused with the Little Brown Crane Grus canadensis, from which it can be 

 distinguished only by size — the length of the latter species being about 36 inches and the 



