. The American natural history : a foundation of useful knowledge of the higher animals of North America . Natural history. W2 ORDERS OF BIRDS—HERONS, STORKS, AND IBISES. New York Zoological Park. GREAT WHITE EGRET. of the Order of Herons with pure white plumage, the great white heron being the first. Much to the misfortune of this species, it possesses about fifty "aigrette" plumes which droop in graceful curves from the middle of its back, far beyond the tail and wing tips. For these beautiful feathers this bird also has been pursued by plume- hunters, to the point of total extermi
. The American natural history : a foundation of useful knowledge of the higher animals of North America . Natural history. W2 ORDERS OF BIRDS—HERONS, STORKS, AND IBISES. New York Zoological Park. GREAT WHITE EGRET. of the Order of Herons with pure white plumage, the great white heron being the first. Much to the misfortune of this species, it possesses about fifty "aigrette" plumes which droop in graceful curves from the middle of its back, far beyond the tail and wing tips. For these beautiful feathers this bird also has been pursued by plume- hunters, to the point of total extermination. A very few individuals are yet living in Florida, but they will all be blotted out within a short period. The American Bittern1 is a fairly large bird, of a yellowish-brown color, elaborately mottled and streaked with various shades of light and dark. When standing in concealment, it draws in its neck until it wholly disappears in its plumage. The result is an egg-shaped, bird, with a beak at the small end, pointing heaven- ward, and short, thick legs below. I have seen a Bittern stand motionless in that idiotic atti- 1 Bo-tau'rus len-tig-i-no'sus. Length, 26 inches. tude for nearly an hour at a time. Even in the whirling gayety of a big Flying Cage, it takes life sadly, and never makes merry, as do all other birds, even the funereal vultures. Standing erect, however, the Bittern is a bird with a fair length of neck; but its neck seems much too large and heavy for its body. Because of the peculiar sound it utters, the Bittern is called the " Stake-Driver," and "; I have never heard thun- der pumped, but with stake-driving am quite familiar, and must say that I never heard a Bittern give forth a cry that sounded like it. I think also that the "booming" of the Bittern should be taken subject to inspection and ap- proval; for to at least one tympanum there is a wide difference between a real "boom" and the alleged &q
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