144 THE AM ERIC A\ Mi'SEUM JOURXAE 



American Egret ( Herod ias cgrctta). A southern species, breeding as far 

 north as Virginia, and after the breeding season wandering northward in small 

 numbers. It is here a rare and irregular summer visitant, occurring between 

 August I and the last of September (Dutcher, Auk, X, 1884, p. 32). Compara- 

 tively recent records . of the occurrence of this species are those of Braislin 

 (Auk, XVII, 1900, p. 69: XIX, 1902, p. 145) and Owen (Auk, XV, 1898, p. 51). 



Snowy Htron {Egrctta candidissiiiia) . One of three individuals seen near 

 Sayville, L. I., May 30, 1885, by William Dutcher and L. S. Foster was "carrying 

 a long stick in its bill" (Dutcher, Auk, III, 1886, p. 435). and possibly 

 was preparing to breed. Xow an exceedingly rare bird breeding in a few 

 isolated localities in Florida. Birds identified in life as this species are more 

 C'pt to be the young of the Little Blue Heron (Braislin, Auk, XIX, 1902, p. 145). 



Little Blue Heron {Florida ccerulca). This southern species, like the pre- 

 ceding, wanders northward in small numbers after the breeding season, and a 

 few are sometimes found near New York. (See group, second flcor). 



*Green Heron (Biitorides virescens). One of our commonest Herons and 

 known under a great variety of names. It haunts the banks of streams and 

 ponds and places its nest of sticks in a bush or the lower branch of a tree. 



*Black-crowned Night Heron ; Quawk {Nycticorax nycticorax ucevms). 



A locally common summer resident. There is a colony containing about 500 



pairs not far from Xew York City. The popular name "Quawk." is derived 

 from the call of the bird. 



Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacca). Breeds from South 

 Carolina southward and occasionally strays up the coast as far as Alassa- 

 chusetts. There is but one definite record for this region, that of a specimen 

 taken in April, near Freeport, Queens County, L. I. (Dutcher. Auk, X. 1893, 

 p. 286). 



Order PALUDICOL/E. Cranes, Rails, etc. 



F.xMiLY RALLID.E. Rails, G.xllinules .\nd Coots. 



King Rail (Rallus elegans). Breeds as far north as Connecticut and has 

 been known to stray to Maine. It is a rare summer resident of our fresh-water 

 marshes (Dutcher. Auk, V, 1888, p. 176). 



Clapper Rail ; Meadow Hen; Marsh Hen (Rallus crepitans). This is an 

 exceedingly common summer resident of the salt marshes of our coasts. Occa- 

 sionally it winters in our region. (See group, second floor). 



Virginia Rail (Rallus -L'irgiiiianus) . .\ locall\- common summer resident, 

 a few remaining during the winter. 



Sora ; Carolina Rail; Rail-bird { Poi-caua Carolina). A rare summer 

 resident in this vicinity, but in the fall it becomes common, feeding on wild rice 

 cf our marshes where, however, it is yearly becoming less numerous. 



[36] 



