114 BULLETIN 135, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



March 10, Waupaca, March 29, and State Line, April 12; Minnesota^ 

 Wilder, March 3 1 , and Hutchinson, March 2 1 ; Excelsior, March 15, Elk 

 River, March 21, and St. Cloud, March 25; Manitoba, Reaburn, 

 April 11» and Margaret, April 15; Saskatchewan, Indian Head, April 

 20, and Qu'Appelle, April 2; and Alberta, Brownfield, May 7. 



Fall migration. — Late dates of departure are Nova Scotia, Pictou, 

 October 11 and Yarmouth, October 12; New Brunswick, Scotch Lake, 

 November 8 and St. John, October 30; Manitoba, Margaret, Sep- 

 tember 15; Minnesota, St. Vincent, October 4, Hutchinson, October 

 15, and Jackson, October 18; Wisconsin, Meridian, October 6, Shioc- 

 ton, October 29, Westfield, October 2, and Milwaukee, October 26; 

 Illinois, Lake Forest, November 22, Aledo, November 3, Canton, 

 October 27, and Odin, October 14; Saskatchewan, Qu'Appelle, Octo- 

 ber 27; Alberta, Flagstaff, September 23; west in migration at least 

 to British Columbia, Prospect Lake, September 18, 1896. 



Egg dates. — New England and New York: 47 records, April 30 to 

 June 25; 24 records. May 3 to 5. Michigan and Wisconsin: 22 

 records, April 19 to May 9; 11 records. May 1 to 3. Delaware and 

 Virginia : 12 records, April 6 to June 10; 6 records, April 18 to May 3. 



ARDEA HERODIAS FANNINI Chapman 

 NORTHWEST COAST HERON 



HABITS 



This well-marked, dark race of the great blue heron inhabits the 

 humid coast belt from Washington to southern Alaska, the type 

 locality being on the Queen Charlotte Islands. Being more strictly 

 confined to the heavily timbered coast region, it adapts itself to its 

 environment in nesting and feeding habits, and differs somewhat in 

 these respects from the other subspecies. It is, however, just as 

 picturesque a feature in the landscape as any other great blue heron. 

 Maj. Allan Brooks tells me that "this heron is decidedly on the 

 increase in British Colmnbia, especially in the interior, where, how- 

 ever, its numbers do not compare at any point to those seen on the 

 coast or west of the Cascades." 



Nesting. — J. Hooper Bowles has sent me some interesting notes on 

 two breeding colonies of this heron in Pierce County, Washington, 

 from which I quote, as follows: 



The Puget Sound colony was visited about the third week in May and I was 

 taken to it by a guide. It was a trip of a mile through virgin forest and under- 

 growth, which left me thoroughly lost from start to finish. How my guide knew 

 his way has always been a mystery to me, well as I know wood hunting, but he 

 traveled fast and without hesitation. Presently he said, "It is just ahead of us 

 now," but I could not hear a sound and thought he must have missed his way, as 

 I felt certain from the start he would. He was right, however, for soon the 

 herons either saw or heard us and the silence was broken to a startling degree 



