32 



quills; head .and neck mostly naked; bill stout, tapering, the 

 end curved downward Wood Ibis. 



[188. Tantalus loculator Linnaeus— Wood Ibis. 



While no records are at hand which would warrant us retaining 

 this bird in our Nebraska lists, it has been definitely recorded from 

 states as far north as Wisconsin and as far west as Colorado. Un- 

 confirmed observations by sportsmen of single birds of the above 

 description would point to its having been seen here as well.] 



Family ARDEID-SS — Herons, Bitterns, Etc. 



1. Outer toe shorter than the inner one; nail on hind toe fully half as 



long as the toe = . . (2) 



1. Outer toe as long or longer than the inner one; nail on hind toe less 



than half as long as its toe (3) 



2. Size large, length 24 to 34 inches '. ■ Bittern. 



2. Size small, length 13 inches Least Bittern. 



3. Bill slender, fully four times as long as it is high at its base (4) 



3. Bill rather stout, only about three times as long as it is high at base ... (9) 

 4. General color white during breeding season with "aigrette" 



plumes on back (5) 



4. General color, at least above, blue or brownish slate, the "aig- 

 rette" plumes short and gray, or with elongate narrow feath- 

 ers instead (7) 



Larger; length 40 inches; bill yellow; feet and legs black; back 



plumes straight American Egret. 



5. Smaller; length 22, to 24 inches (6) 



6. Bill, legs, and feet black; plumes recurved Snowy Heron. 



6. Bill black, legs and feet greenish yellow; tips of primaries 



bluish Little Blue Heron, young. 



7. Very large, length 45 inches; center of crown white; the occiput pro- 

 vided with elongate plumes ; legs blackish (adult) ; crown black, 



head not crested (young) Great Blue Heron. 



7. Smaller, length from 17 to 26 inches; head feathers forming more or 



less of a crest (8) 



8. Length 17 inches; neck and sides of head purplish chestnut; 



back and wings greenish washed with bluish gray 



Green Heron. 



8. Length 22 to 26 inches; head and neck maroon, rest of plum- 

 age slaty blue (adult) Little Blue Heron. 



9. Bill less than one-half an inch shorter than tarsus; its top and bottom 

 but slightly convex; crown and back greenish black (adult). 

 Grayish brown streaked with white above; primaries with pale 



rufous (young) Black-crowned Night Heron. 



9. Bill over one-half an inch shorter than tarsus; its top and bottom 

 decidedly convex; blue-gray, crown and ear-coverts whitish 

 (adult). Crown black, streaked with white; primaries bluish 

 slate (young) Yellow-crowned Night Heron. 



