Notes on the Habits of the Breeding Water Birds 23 



water, to wliicli the ol<l birds transported tlie youn<»' in 



their bills. He has seen young very early in April bnt a few 



days old. After they are hatched the adults lead them to 



nearby rice field reservoirs, where they remain until nearly 



grown when they return to the heavy timber along the 



streams. 



Ijcohrychus ejrilis — Least Ritterx. 



The data that I liave secured on the nesting habits of 

 this pecies is very meager. It is a summer resident only, but 

 on account of its retiring habits the times of its ariival 

 and departure are not well knoAvn to me, and the fact that 

 it breeds in the county has only recently been ascertained. 

 In 1915 I accompanied (i. R. Rossignol and Frank N. Irv- 

 ing on a visit to Ossabaw island. We landed on the north 

 end ir the late afternoon of May 10, and the following five 

 days were devoted to a study of the bird life of the island. 

 Our attention was directed particularh^ to the long es- 

 tablished colony of herons in which a nundjer of pairs of 

 the now rare Egrets {Casiiiero(Iiu>i c(/rett<i) and Snowy 

 Egrets {Ef/retta caiKlidii^.siiiia caiKUd'n^sinia ) had found 

 refuge. This rookery is in a large fresh water pond in 

 which we spent two days full of interesting experiences. 



Situated in the middle northern portion of Ossabaw 

 island, a coast island nine miles long and live miles wide 

 at its widest point, this pond, created by the flow from 

 an artesian well, annually furnishes a winter home for 

 wild fowl and a summer home for many species of water 

 birds, besides those land birds partial to such an environ- 

 ment. Its area covers very nearly two acres, although 

 about one-third of it ap])arently is unsuitable as a nesting 

 environment for any species of bird except Red-winged 

 Blackbirds {Af/cJaius phoriiiceiis phooiicciis) which were 

 present everywhere in tlie pond. This portion is the marg- 

 inal strip and is about lifty feet wide. Beginning at the 

 edge of tlie pond and extending toward its center for a 

 distance of approximately one hundred and fifty feet there 

 are dense groAvths of cat-tail flags, wampee and pond lilies, 

 interspersed with small patches of saw grass. Each of 

 these species of vegetation grows in separate and well de- 



