132 THE BIRDS OF MAINE 



Genus HERODIAS Boie. 



196. Herodias egretta (Gmel.). American Egret. 



Plumage of adults in breeding season : lores orange ; bill yellow, legs and 

 feet black ; otherwise pure white ; forty to sixty wiry hair-like plumes grow 

 from the interscapular region, extending straight back beyond the tail. 

 Plumage of adults after breeding season and immature birds: long inter- 

 scapular plumes wanting. Wing 15.00 to 17.00 ; culmen 4.00 to 5.00 ; tarsus 

 6.00. 



Geog. Dist. — Temperate and tropical America, breeding north to southern 

 Illinois and Virginia ; casual north to Minnesota, Maine and Nova Scotia. 



County Records. — Cumberland ; one taken August 22, 1893, (Smith, F. & 

 S. 20, p. 104); one at Scarborough in April, 1875, (Rod & Gun, 6, p. 65). 

 Hancock ; one shot at Cranberry Island, April 7, 1891, by Elwood Richardson, 

 (E. Smith). Kennebec; one shot by Will Libby at Pleasant Pond, between 

 Richmond and West Gardiner, August 20, 1896, this being in company with 

 another of the same species, (Powers). Washington ; a full plumaged adult, 

 taken at Millbridge in May, 1906, was mounted by the S. L. Crosby Co. and 

 seen by me at their establishment, it is now at Bowdoin College, (Knight). 



This and other species of Herons are very prone to wander 



north of their usual range, either in spring, or more usually 



after the breeding season is over. This species is a mere 



straggler and does not breed with us. In the south they nest 



in colonies, often with other species of Herons. A nest found 



at Lake Arthur, Louisiana, May 4, 1896, was a mere platform 



of sticks and twigs, placed in a small willow tree in a big 



marsh. The four dull blue eggs the nest contained measure 



2.22 X 1.46, 2.24 x 1.45, 2.18 x 1.45, 2.20 x 1.45. Three to 



five eggs are laid. The food of this species is similar to that 



of other Herons and like them they frequent swamps, marshes 



and the borders of ponds. 



Genus FLORIDA Baird. 



200. Florida cceridea (Linn.). Little Blue Heron. 

 Plumage of adults : lores blue ; head and neck maroon, often mixed with 

 more or less white, or white even predominating rarely; feathers of the 

 lower neck and the interscapulars narrow, lengthened and pointed : plumage 

 otherwise dark blue slate ; feet and legs black. Immature plumage : white 

 (sometimes slaty tinged in places) ; the tips of the primaries always bluish 



