been stopped to such an extent, however, that the birds have come back fror 
numbers that vere approaching the disepoearing point to relative abundance, 
the large species recovering more Yapidiy than the small. in the first 
stages of the recovery process the birds resumed their northern wanderings 
in stendily increas Boe numbers and to more and more distant points, and 
later they reestablished breeding colonies at points farther and farther 
to the north ore. aa had formerly bred. The contraction of their 
ponvlations to the south as their numbers decreased is an interesting 
phenomenon, as the northern colonies vere the least molested, the war 
of the Satins traders upon them being most intensive in the South. 
The Louisiana heron, which is of about the same size as the little 
blue heron, may be seen from the Carolinas south. Standing, it appears 
more slender than other herons; on the wing, the dark head and neck, con- 
trasting with the white body, distinguisn it. The green heron, the small 
est or the tribe here described, is about the bulk of « crow, and appears 
dark, although it is greenish above and reddish below. It frequents 
bodies of water in woodlands but may occasionally visit salt marshes, It 
winters from South Caroline southward. 
! 
The black-crowned night heron pay ne seen anywhere along the coast 
in summer and from Virginia (casnally from Massachusetts) south in winter. 
In this species the bill is proportionsztely thicker at the base than in 
other herons; the top of the head is black, and the general body color 
bluish gray; the young in their first winter are greyish brown, spotted 
and streaked with whitish and rusty. Night herons nest in colonies in 
trees, often near the const, may visit salt marshes at that season in 
search of food, and at other seasons may adopt the marshes as hunting 
grounds for protracted periods, 
Besides the bittern, the vocal accomplishments of which already have 
been mentioned, other herons attract attention by peculiar and usually harsh 
notes that in a number of cases have suggested local names for the species. 
When startled the great blue heron gets under way with raucous croaks and 
squawks, sounding much like oo ee and in some places it has, therefore, 
been called "cranky", The green heron under similar ce ances arises 
with a Skeow, which earn it such names as "scouck", "scout", and "cow-covw!', 
Fhe night heron often cries guock, and so has been termed oc aaelh Nwop!" , 
and "qua-bird", 
Gulls, @erns, Skimmers 
Gulls and terns breed chiefly on islands and beaches, but they are 
free-flying fowl, and several kinds may from time to time be seen in the salt 
Marshes. Some of these birds are rare or difficult to distinguish, and are 
best omitted from on account lixe the present. The most common species on 
the Atlantic coast is the herring gull or harbor gull, the common ses gull. 
It is somewhat larger than a crow; the back and most of the wing are pearl 
gray, the head and underside and toil white, and the tips of the wing barred 
black and white, It breeds from Massachusetts north and west and winters 
elong whe whole coast, from which in fact it is entirely absent only a few 
weeks in summer. 
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