^"I'^^n Bent, Nesting Habits of Florida Herodiones. 259 



me the Letter promised me by the president of the U. S., for, as I 

 have not yet had it, I somewhat fear that it has been missent. 

 Write to me at once, and believe me, 



Your friend, John J. Audubon. 



Audubon's Recommendation of Baird. 



New York, July 30, 1842. 

 Knowing, as I do, Spencer F. Baird, Esq., as a Young Gentle- 

 man well qualified to assist in the arrangement, description, etc. of 

 the specimens of Natural History brought home by the Exploring 

 Expedition, and deposited in the National Institute at Washington 

 City for the purpose of being published and thereby rendered 

 useful to the world of Science ; I take great pleasure in recom- 

 mending him as a most worthy, intelligent, and industrious student 

 of Nature, both in the field and in the museum, and I would feel 

 great satisfaction in hearing that our Government had employed 

 him in this national and important undertaking. 



John J. Audubon. 



NESTING HABITS OF THE HERODIONES 

 IN FLORIDA. 



BY A. C. BENT. 



Plates XIX-XXI. 



[Concluded from p. 2g.') 



Botaurus lentiginosus. American Bittern. 



This species seems to be sparingly but generally distributed 

 throughout the fresh water marshes of Florida, where it undoubt- 

 edly breeds. We did not find any of its nests but, as we spent 

 very little time in suitable localities, this is not strange. We 

 flushed a few American Bitterns from the saw-grass marshes on 



