220 
ZOOLOGY, 
The purple gallinnle {Porpliyrio martinica) lias the head, 
neck, and under parts of a beautiful purplish blue, becom- 
ing darker on the bellj. It inhabits the South Atlantic 
and Gulf States. With it is associated the Florida galli- 
nule {Gallimila galeata). Allied to Porpliyrio is the New 
Zealand Notornis (Fig. 259). 
Allied to the gallinules is the giant" or GoMinula 
gigantea (Fig. 26o), which formerly lived in the Mascarene 
Islands, having been observed as late 
as 1694. It stood two metres (over six 
feet) high. With it was associated a 
large blue gallinule — Porpliyrio {No- 
tornis?) cceritlescens — which was last 
seen on the Isle Bourbon between 1669 
and 1672. It was incapable of flight, 
but ran with exceeding swiftness. 
The cranes are of great stature, the 
legs and neck very long, with the head 
sometimes curiously tufted. The white 
or whooping crane {Grus Americanus) 
is pure white^ and is about 50 inches 
long, while the brown or sandhill crane 
{Grus Ccmadensis) is smaller and the 
adult plumage is leaden gray. With 
the true herons are associated the 
night herons and the bitterns of the 
United States, the boat-billed heron ol 
Central America, and the odd BalcBU}- 
ceps rex of Africa, which has an enor- 
mous head and broad, large bill. The 
American bittern {Botauriis lentigi- 
nosus) nests on the ground. The night 
heron or squawk {Nyctiardea grisea) is common in sum- 
mer in the Northern States; it is about two feet in length 
and has two very long plumes arising from the base of the 
head. The great blue heron {Ardea lierodias) is about four 
feet in length, and the general color above is grayish blue. 
Fig. 260.— The *' Giant 
Mauritius. 
