BIRDS FOUND IX BAYOUS AND MARSHES 93 



94 (part). TREGANZA BLUE HERON, OR BLUE 

 CRANE,. — Ardea herodias treganzai. 



Family : The Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns. 



Length: 45.50. 



Adults: Ciovvu and throat white ; sides and back of head white ; feath- 

 ers lengthened to form a crest ; upper parts bluish gray ; under parts 

 broadly striped black and white ; legs and feet black. 



Young : Top of head sooty slate ; throat white ; neck ashy, washed with 

 light brown ; under parts streaked buff, slate, and white, with some 

 black. 



Geographical Distrihution : Western United States, south to western 

 Mexico. 



Breeding Range : Breeds locally in colonies wherever found. 



Breeding Season ': April and May. 



Nest : A platform of coarse sticks ; placed high up in the tree ; always in 

 colonies. 



Eggs: 3 to 4 ; pale bluish gray. Size 2.50 X 1.50. 



The Great Blue Heron is a connnon species through- 

 out California, and nests in almost every locality where 

 it is found. At Muir Station, California, there is a large 

 heronry in sycamore trees on the property of iNIr. John 

 Muir, and the noise of the young birds at feeding time 

 can be heard half a mile away. The birds return to 

 their heronry in February, and the young are hatched 

 ill April, though fresh eggs ha\x' been found as late as 

 June I. The young are i'vd by regurgitation, wliich in this 

 case is a more than usually ludicrous performance. So 

 violent is the shaking which eacli young heron undergoes 

 in the j)roccss of receiving his food that he seems in 

 iuiniineiit danger of being jerked out of the nest and 

 hurled to the groun<l fifty feet below. 



These herons fly miles to obtain fish for food, and (me 

 or the other parent is cu runtc during all tlie davlight 



