^°1908^^T Pennock, Birds of Delaware. 285 



abundant near my home, three miles north of the Delaware State 

 line, during September and early October. I saw two near Dela- 

 ware City September 3, 1906. 



14. Wild Turkey (Meleagris gaUopavo silvestris). — This 

 bird of course long ago disappeared as the country became settled. 

 It was undoubtedly abundant during at least the first half of the 

 seventeen hinidreds along the fresh water streams of the upper 

 portion of the State. Hesselius, the Swedish preacher, relates 

 the sport to be had shooting the entire flock from trees, by moon- 

 light, during his pastorate at Wilmington, from 1712 to 1724. 



15. Passenger Pigeon (Ectopistes migratorius). — Like the 

 Wild Turkey, but at a later date, the Wild Pigeon has gone from 

 Delaware. Pastor Hesselius records their abundance previous to 

 1724, and down to 1870 or a little later, I am advised, by the older 

 inhabitants, they were not uncommon in the fall and early spring. 

 There have been quite recent reports of the appearance of this 

 bird in the State, but none sufficiently reliable to record. 



Since preparing the original 'List' additional notes have been 

 made on the following: 



Whistling Swan {Olor Columbian us). — "Swans" are reported 

 as not rare, but seldom shot, about Indian River Inlet. One was 

 taken late in the winter (February ?), 1906, probably this species. 



Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias). — I have found two 

 small colonies of these birds; one, said to be of long standing, was 

 visited in 1906. At least ten or twelve pairs of birds were nesting, 

 but as wood-choppers were then nearly completing the destruction 

 of all large timber, future nesting there was improbable. A second 

 colony was visited in 1906 and 1907, about ten miles south of 

 Wilmington. On both occasions I estimated there were at least 

 25 occupied nests, by actual count 52 nests, — as many as 16 nests 

 on one large spreading oak. Several nests of this colony were in 

 the tops of trees, and as they were occupied before the leaves had 

 formed, they were plainly visible at a distance of nearly one mile. 

 I visited this colony April 29, 1906; several nests contained eggs; 

 a set of 4 were perfectly fresh, but there was evidence that many 

 of these nests had been robbed at an earlier date. April 20, 1907, 

 old birds were on nests. April 28, 1907, they were observed to be 



