THE COLLECTORS' MONTHLY. 



Notes on Birds of Long Island. 



By W. W. Worthxngton. 



[All articles by Mr. Worthington are original and are 

 written expressly for The Collectors' Monthly.— Ed.] 



The annotated list of Long Island 

 Birds which was begun in the " Col- 

 lectors' Monthly," of Danielsonville, 

 Connecticut, ceased being published 

 when that journal became defunct, in 

 May 1892. The list will now be con- 

 tinued in the present publication, be- 

 ginning where it was left off in the 

 former one. The author is well aware 

 of its imperfections, and it is given 

 simply for what it is worth to the 

 brotherhood. 



[The first number is the list number, the sec- 

 ond that of the A. O. U. Check List, and the 

 one following the name is that of the Ridge- 

 way Catalogue.] 



( 39 ) 207. Ardea viresceus. 



Green Heron. (494.) 



Crown and back, glossy green. Neck pur- 

 plish brown. Front of neck with streaks of 

 brown and whitish. Back with long plume 

 like, white shafted feathers. Wings with edg- 

 ings of yellowish white. Length 15 inches. 



An abundant summer resident. 



The nest is a mere platform of small 



twigs, slightly hollowed. The eggs 



are four to six in number and pale 



greenish blue in color. Fresh sets are 



usually found the second week in June. 



Arrives from south about April 25th. 



Frequents the shores of creeks and 



sloughs, and nests in young thickets, 



often a considerable distance from 



water. Eggs average \\ x 1-g- inches. 



( 9 A ) 202. Nycticorax nycticorax ncevius. 



Black-crowned Night Heron. 



(495.) 

 Crown and back, greenish black. Rest of 

 upper parts pale bluish ash. Beneath yellow- 



ish white. A tuft of long slender cylindrical 

 feathers in back of head. Length 25 inches. 



An abundant summer resident, 

 sometimes remaining through the win- 

 ter. Breeds in communities. The 

 nest is a slightly hollowed platform of 

 sticks. The eggs are four to six in 

 number and pale greenish blue in color, 

 average size 2x1^ inches. The Night 

 Herons are locally distributed, and are 

 seldom seen at any great distance from 

 water, except when in search of new 

 feeding grounds. There is a large col- 

 ony on Grardiners Island. 



{95) 203. Nycticorax violaceus. 



Yellow-Crowned Night Heron. 



(496.) 

 The general color buish ash, back with 

 black streaks. Long lanceolate plumes on 

 back and head, patch on sides of head and 

 through crown, yellowish white. Length 22 

 inches. 



Are extremely rare stragglers from 

 the south. Recorded from Massachu- 

 setts. I have found this species 

 breeding in south Georgia, in retired 

 parts of large swamps and never near 

 any other species, and never more than 

 two or three nests in a community. 

 The ego;s cannot be distinguished from 

 the Black Crowned Night Herons, and 

 the birds habits are very similar, but 

 the present species is of a much more 

 solitary nature. 



{96) 277. Rallus longirostris crepitans. 



Clapper Rail. (571.) 



Above olive brown, with stripes of blackish 

 brown. A whitish line over the eye. Sides 

 of head ash color. Throat white. Lower 

 breast and sides brownish black, with narrow 

 whitish barring. Feet large. Tail short. 

 Length 14 inches. 



Although I have never seen the 



Clapper Rail alive on Long Island, I 



