44 CONNECTICUT GEOL. AND NAT. HIST. SURVEY. [Bull. 



Spring migration. Earliest record. New Haven, April 20, 

 1887; Portland, April 8, 1887; Columbia, March 26, 1894 (W. 

 E. T.). Latest record. New Haven, May 4, 1898; Portland, May 

 21, 1907. 



Summer records. June 9, 1892, Portland (J. H. S.) ; June 24, 

 1893, June 21, 1894, Quinnipiac Marshes, North Haven (A. H. 

 V. and L, B. B.) ; June 20, 1904, SaHsbury (J. H. S. and L. B. 

 B.) ; May 30, June 11, 15, 1891, June 30, 1905 (E. S. W.), July 

 3, 1895, Litchfield (L. B. W.) ; July 23, 1910, Portland (J. H. S.). 



Winter record. Dec. 29, 1904, Stamford, a male in perfect 

 condition taken (in coll. of Hoyt). 



Nesting records. June, Portland, eggs taken (J. H. S.) ; June 

 27, 1907, Litchfield, four young in nest (E. S. W.). 



Ixobrychus exilis (Gmelin). Least Bittern. 



A rather rare summer resident of the marshes along the coast, 

 occasional inland. Formerly common. 



Earliest record. May 29, 1875, Portland. 



Latest record. Sept. 22, 1902, New Haven. 



Nest. Usually a mere hollow of rushes fastened to the flags 

 of a grass-grown marsh. 



Eggs. 4-5 ; middle of June. 



Nesting dates. Earliest record. June 8, 1898, five eggs 

 (Hill). Latest record. June 27, 1876, one egg (Nichols). 



Merriam^ notes this species as a pretty regular summer resi- 

 dent, having been particularly abundant throughout the state dur- 

 ing the season of 1875. At that same time W. W. C. informed 

 Merriam that they bred regularly in the vicinity of Portland. Of 

 recent years the Least Bittern has become relatively scarce. 



Recent records : May, about 1896, Winchester, pair seen 

 (Williams) f May, 1904, New Haven (A. A. S.) ; June 23, 1904, 

 Stratford, a breeding pair taken by E. Perry, Jr. ; June 18, 1907, 

 Portland (J. H. S.) ; June 19, 1909, Morris Cove, New Haven, 

 nest with four eggs (A. A. S.) ; Sept. 13, 1909, Goodspeed's Land- 

 ing, bird taken (C. R. H.) ; June 15, 1910, New Haven, deserted 

 nest with one egg (H. K. J.) ; July 23, 1910, Portland (J. H. S.). 



1 Merriam, Birds of Conn., p. 113. 

 *Job, Tlie Sport of Bird Study, p. 293. 



