1910] The Ottawa Naturalist. 163 



Beach Lake, Quebec, about 35 miles in a straight Hne from the 

 city. The earHest date for its arrival here from the south which 

 I have is March 16th (1898). From then till well into May 

 (9th, 1907) its wedge-shaped flocks enliven the air, and again 

 in the fall from October 1 1th to about November, 20th. 



51. Branta bernida, Brant. This abundant eastern mi- 

 grant is only a very rare accidental visitor with us, the only 

 record being a specimen shot some thirtv miles down the river 

 by Mr. P. Thompson in the fall of 1887. ' 



Order Herodiones Herons, Storks, Ibises, etc. 

 ardeid^ herons, bitterns. 



52. Botaurus lentiginosus , Bittern. A common summer 

 resident, breeding in large and small swamps and sloughs. They 

 come in the spring as early as April 6th, and stragglers remain as 

 late as October 30th. 



53. Ixobrychus exilis. Least Bittern. A very rare summer 

 resident at Shirley's Bay. 



54. Ardea herodias. Great Blue Heron. This large bird, 

 popularly but erroneously called "Blue Crane," is still a common 

 figure with us, though most possessors of guns deem it a piece 

 of great heroism and marksmanship to kill every one they see. 

 Its heronies, collections of big bulky nests up in trees in swampy, 

 flooded woods, are found here and there in the district. Extreme 

 dates of arrival and departure are: March 17th (1907), and 

 November 17th (1909). 



55. Butorides virescens, Green Heron. A rare visitor to us 

 from further south, in the fall. It has been taken once by Mr. 

 W. E. Saunders on the banks of the Rideau. As it nests not far 

 to the south of us, along the St. Lawrence, and as this species 

 has the habit in common with other herons to take a little 

 ramble northward from their breeding grounds before departing 

 to the south in fall, it should be looked for more assiduously and 

 will probably be found more regularly. 



56. Nycticorav nycticorav ncBvius, Black-crowned Night 

 Heron. Th^'s is a summer resident of circumscribed local distri- 

 bution. It nests on Kettle Island, and there it is not rare, 

 otherwise it is. But even at Kettle Island, birds in the adult 

 plumage are rare and none had been taken here till September 

 10th, 1907, when Mr. E. White shot two adult males in a little 

 spruce and cedar thicket near Hurdman's Bridge. One was seen 

 by him also late as October 19th (1905) in Lochaber Bay. 



(To be continued.) 



