eimxus. 137

These hirds live in eolonies composed sometimes of thousands of pairs. 'l‘heir day herrins after sunset, when they leave their roosts and start for their feediirt grounds. Occasionally they tttter a loud. hoarse gnaw/r. the origin of their common name: aitd looking tip we may eaten a glimpse of them hurr_\,'iugr through the. gloom. During the

— CI

J

nesting season the demands of the young force thetn to feed both by day and night.

203. Nycticorax Violaceus t/xz'nn. v. YLLMiw—t-iiowxxn Nion'r lllilitiN. 1111.7 (frown white. generally washed with httti'y: ear~eo\'erts white; rest of the head and throat hlaek; IlL‘L‘lx’,l)1'1':l.\'i.tllitl hell)‘ hlue—gray; hark the same; the lengthened interseapulars. seapulars. and \\‘ing-eo\'erts streaked with hlaek; two or three hlaek and white rounded oeeipital plumes; lores greenish yellow: legs greenish. [neit'rown /;./«1<'1‘.the feathers streaked with white or lilll'l)'i rest of the upper parts. inehuling \\‘it]gveo\'t'i‘ts. t'useous-hrown with wedge~shaped hutl'y or white spots: primaries Jar/x Hills/z 3/111: wolur Tell/107” rig/hm- ' under parts white or hutl’y streaked with hhu-kish. 1... 23‘0“; \\‘., tree: 't‘aiz. 3-7.3; 14,. see.

11’.nun-kleonng hirds hear a general resemhlauee to those of the prw Ceding spueies. httt dilh-r in heing darker. iti having the head darker than the haek. and the ]>I'illttlt‘i.\.\‘ without rut‘ous.

It‘ll/(fluilgl't‘L’dS from southern lllinois and South (‘aroliua southward to South Ameriea. and m-easionall_\' strays north as tar as Massaehusetts.

Longr Island. .\. Y. ('auihridge. A. V“ one reeord. .lul)‘.

.\1.~/,:1plzitt'oi~in ot' stieks. in pairs. generally in a low hraneh overhanging water. Jig/gs. tour to tire. pale. dull hlue. 1'95 x 1‘45.

Unlike the preceding, this is a rather solitary species. and is found singly or in pairs along the borders of wooded streams. and never in Colonies. 1t is also, I think. more, diurnal in hahits.

ORDER PALUDICOLE. CRA'N‘Es, RAILS, EiTC.

FAMILY GRUIDA. CRANES.

The (‘ranes number about eighteen species. of which three are North American. while the remaining fifteen inhahit the Old World. They frequent plains and marshes. and are omnivorous feeders, eating frogs, lizards. field-mice, snakes, etc., and various kinds of vegetahle food. (tui- speeies migrate in tloeks. hut are solitary rather than gregarious at other times of the year. Their \‘oiee is loud and resonant.

204. Grus americana. t /./'mt.\. \Viioorixo Music; \Viit‘rlc ('naxic. xiv/.7 'l'op ot' the head, lore' and sides ot' the throat dull red. with a thin growth of hlaek " hairs ": primaries ltlttk‘k. rest of the plumage white. 1m.— Similar. hut whole head teatliered. and the plumage more or less washed with butt) oetiraeeous. 1...:3mtu; \\'., :fruo; 't‘ar.. tt-fto; 1L. .‘veu.