HERONS 129 



1897. This nest was flat and measured five and a half inches 

 across. The five eggs measured 1.30x0.98, 1.31x0.98, 

 1.29x0.98, 1.19x0.93, 1.25x0.98. 



The birds are said to nest in small, rather scattered colonies 

 among the cat-tails, rushes and tules, and in the more southern 

 States are said to rear two broods in a season. When on the 

 nest the incubating bird is said to be very tame. Their love 

 note is a oft repeated dove like coo, and when flushed they 

 make a short "guk". They eat small fish, insects and tadpoles. 



Subfamily ARDEIN^E. Herons and Egrets. 

 Genus ARDEA Linnaeus. 

 Subgenus ARDEA. 



v^94. Ardea herodias Linn. Great Blue Heron; Blue 

 Crane; Sandhill Crane; Frog Stabber; Poke. 



Plumage of adults in breeding season : feathers on back of head lengthened 

 to form a black occipital crest ; crown white in the center, surrounded by 

 black ; lores blue : neck grayish brown with a distinct line of black spots 

 mixed with white and ochraceous marks down the middle in front ; feathers 

 of the extreme upper breast and lower neck much lengthened, narrowish, 

 light, often streaked with dark ; above slaty or bluish gray, the scapulars 

 lighter, narrow and lengthened ; rufous on bend of wing ; a spot of black 

 and white at sides of breast; breast and belly black and white, streaked, 

 sometimes rufous tinged ; feathered portion of legs rufous ; legs and feet 

 black ; culmen darkish, rest of bill yellowish. Adults after breeding season 

 lose the occipital crest but the plumage is otherwise very similar. Immature 

 plumage : color of back more grayish brown ; scapulars and feathers of upper 

 breast and lower neck not lengthened ; under parts streaked black, white, 

 slaty and buff ; crown wholly black ; black at sides of breast lacking. Wing 

 18.00 to 20.00 ; culmen 4.50 to 6.00 ; tarsus 6.00 to 8.25. 



Geog. Dist. — North America from the Arctic regions to the West Indies, 

 northern South America, Bermudas and Galapagos ; winters from the Middle 

 States southward. 



County Records. — Androscoggin ; fairly common summer resident ; 

 (Johnson). Aroostook; a few colonies still breed in the county, (Knight). 

 Cumberland; common summer resident, (Mead). Franklin; common sum- 

 mer resident, (Swain). Hancock; five or six fair sized colonies are still 

 found in the county, two of which are on the coast among the islands, 

 (Knight). Kennebec; common summer resident, (Gardiner Branch). Knox; 

 summer, (Rackliff). Oxford; breeds commonly, (Nash). Penobscot; five 



