Vo, i™ V ] General Notes. 477 



Nesting of the Bittern (Botaurus lentiginosus) in the Delaware 

 Valley.— The Bittern is erroneously supposed to be a rare breeder in 

 New Jersey, but recent researches by Mr. Richard C. Harlow along the 

 maritime marshes have proven that it is a regular summer resident there; 

 although it seems to be an extremely rare breeder anywhere in the Dela- 

 ware Valley and particularly in the vicinity of Philadelphia. 



On June 5, 1915, while exploring the marshes and swamps along a small 

 creek at Woodbury, Gloucester County, N. J., in company with Turner 

 Mc Mullen, of Camden, N. J., we discovered a Bittern's nest; it was placed 

 flat upon the muddy ground near the edge of a small patch of calamus and 

 contained three nestlings and one rotten egg. The young birds were about 

 a week old and the egg contained a dead chick. The nest was a mass of 

 green and dead reed stalks, unattached to the tules and was fairly well 

 hidden. 



Woodbury is about eight miles from Philadelphia, to the south, situated 

 upon Woodbury Creek and about a mile inland from the Delaware River. 

 The nest was at the southern end of the town and is the first one 

 ever found in the vicinity of Philadelphia, to my knowledge. — Richard 

 F. Miller, Philadelphia, Pa. 



Yellow-crowned Night Heron at Chicago. — On Sunday, April 14, 

 1918, a friend and I were studying the birds in Jackson Park, Chicago, 111. 

 I was told that a specimen of Nyctanassa violacea had been seen in the park, 

 At first I was incredulous, as the occurrence of this species in this latitude 

 so early in the season is extremely unusual. Having approached within 

 fifty feet of the bird I was able to assure myself of its identity. Un- 

 fortunately I was unable to secure the specimen. The bird allowed me to 

 study it at close range for several minutes. At the expiration of this time 

 it flew, confirming my opinion that its wings were not clipped. The bird 

 was observed by many others. The next day, although I searched dili- 

 gently, I was unable to find it. — Nathan F. Leopold, Jr., Chicago, III. 



The Black Vulture (Catharista urubu) in Indiana. — Professor 

 Butler, in his ' Birds of Indiana ' p. 769, states that the Black Vulture is 

 " Resident in the southern part of the State; generally not numerous, but, 

 in the lower Wabash Valley, at least from Knox County southward, it is 

 common." Mr. McAtee, in his ' Birds of the University of Indiana,' 

 notes the bird as quite rare in the State. 



While en route from St. Louis to Washington on May 5, 1918, over the 

 B. & O. Southwestern R. R., about five miles east of North Vernon, in 

 Jennings County, Indiana, I saw two Black Vultures just after they had 

 risen from the ground near the train and were ascending some thirty feet, 

 where they joined a Turkey Vulture which was leisurely sailing around the 

 locality. — R. W. Williams, Washington, D. C. 



