THE OOLUGIST. 



249 



Several other sets were taken, among 

 them two sets of 5, and a num'ter of 

 nests with incomplete sets or badly in- 

 enbated eggs were left. 



The average of the 23 egg measured 

 is 1.97x1.45. They run from 2.08 to l.'JO 

 long and from 1.41 to 1.51 broad. The 

 color is hard to describe and I could 

 not find one who would venture to call 

 it any name. One variety has the ap- 

 pearance of having faded to the color 

 of the rushes on which they are laid 

 but even fresh eggs have this color, 

 while others, even when well incubated, 

 have a greenish tinge. The nests were 

 always over water and composed of dry 

 rushes and the round I'eed spoken of 

 before. They have much the appear- 

 ance of a large and very thick doves 

 nest and will average 10x15x4. 



A few rushes are broken to the tip (jf 

 the water and on t iese the nest is laid. 



Least Bittern. 



La.st year the Least Bittern was to be 

 found in every clump of rushes and I 

 was told it's nest.s were as cemmon as 

 those of the Redwing, and from the 

 birds I saw I do notdoul)t it, although 

 I was not able to visit the place during 

 the breeding season. 



This year the birds were not at ail 

 common at any time, and I did not get 

 the number of sets I desired by any 

 means. 



Full sets can rarely be oljtained by 

 the lOtho'June and the nesting season 

 i^ at its height about the 25th. 



The nest is a platform of last years 

 reeds, not unlike a doves nest except 

 that it is larger and deeper. 



It is placed in a clump of rushes on 

 the tops that have been bent by the 

 storms or by the birds, and always over 

 water and usually from 10 to 18 inches 

 above it, the deei)er the water the bet- 

 ter, which may account for their al^nnd- 

 ance last 3'ear when the marsh was 

 ilicply covered all the spring. 



The number of eggs in a set is from 

 ;') to 5 with 4 as the average. 



In color they are a greenish or bluish 

 white but the color is very nearly white 

 and I judge specimens after a long ex- 

 posure to the light will be found to be 

 faded to that color. 



A set of 5 measure, 1 24x.{)3. l.lStx »5 

 1.20X.96. 1 22X.93, 1.20x.!)4. Incubation 

 fresh. A set of 4, l.lHx.94, 1.27x.n2, 

 1.25X.91, 1.22X.95. Incubation begun. ~ 



The eggs except the tinge of color in 

 them could not be told from large doves 

 eggs. 



The sets were all taken on (he 14th of 

 June. 



One thing I saw surprised me and 

 that was the fact that of all the birds I 

 saw about the nests only one was a fe- 

 male, who left a nest containing three 

 fresh eggs. From this I concluded the 

 male must do the incubating, at least 

 during the da.v. 



At this time, June 14th, incubation 

 had begun in a few sets, but was not 

 advanced over 3 or 4 days in any. 



The Least Bittern unlike the Ameri- 

 can Bittern can be found all over (he 

 marsh, one nest I found being out about 

 a mile and near a place where hund- 

 i-eds of Black-crowned Night Herons 

 w(M"e nesting. 



It is oue of the n)o><t interesting birds 

 found in the marshes, and seems to be 

 common all over the state. 



I have never heard one make any 

 sound and men who have lived in the 

 swamps all their lives say it makes no 

 call whatever. 



, Dk. a. ('. MlKCIIISON, 



Kewanee, Ills. 



Cruising and Science 



liY "TOM.MV HAWK " 



Only those who have a pcMsoual 

 knowledge of the pleasures of cruising 

 can fully comi)rehend its triu^ enchant- 

 ment. Cruising is a delight I)eeause it 

 Itrings one into that glorious society 



