242 Batnard, Breeding Hints of Alachua Co., Florida. [adtU 



7. Plegadis autumnalis. Gloss? lms. Black i'uar«. 1 fust 

 found this ran' and beautiful bird breeding here in L909 on Bird Island in 

 Orange Lake. Nests \pril 1 to May l. Will lav two to three sets if 

 disturbed. 



s. Mycteria americana. Wood [bis, Flint Head- The last 

 breeding record 1 have tor this County is L906, when they bred in num- 

 bers in a Cypress Swamp in the northeastern pari of the county. Tins 

 rookery of about 1500 nests was nearly exterminated by men and boys 

 who shot the young from the trees, evidently just to see them fall. After 

 the nesting season they come here and feed all summer on our lakes. 

 Fresh eggs aboul March L5. 



0. Botaurus lentiginosis . Bittern Resident throughout the 

 year luit a rare breeder. One nest found June 15, 1911, near Mieanopy 

 by 11. 11 Simpson, 



'to. Ixobrychus exilis. Least Bittern.— An abundant resident. 



Commences to nest in early April, and usually rears two broods. 



•11. Ixobrychus neoxenus. Cory's Least Bittern. -Very rare 

 and found only during four years of the nine 1 have lived in the COUnty, 

 Umosl always found in or near small saw grass patches on two certain 

 lakes. Probably more abundant than would appear from its fondness for 

 the almost impenetrable saw grass. Fresh eggs April 20. 



12. Ardea herodia-s wardi. Ward's Heron.— Abundant and resi- 

 dent. Nests in large numbers in rookeries in express swamps in Febru- 

 ary and early March. Have found a few, however, nesting with the small 

 Herons and Egrets in willow ponds and on Bird Island. 



13. Herodias egretta. EqRI r. Ion.; WHITE. This beautiful bird 

 was fairly abundant when I first came here, but is now limited to about 

 300 pairs, nearly all of which are in our protected rookeries. April 1 to 15. 



14. Egretta candidissima candidissima. Snowy Egret.— Never 

 very abundant during my residence here. Our protected rookeries here 

 shelter the remnant, of this showy bird. Not over 250 pairs now left 

 and these have increased from the four pairs thai 1 began guarding three 

 years ago. March 25 to April 10. 



•15. Dichromanassa rufescens. Reddtsr Egret. Abundant 

 during H>07 and 1908 bound about 1500 pairs on bird Island and many 

 Straggling pans in nuii) other localities. One pair only nested in 1911, 

 and have only seen one pair this year. 



*16. Hydranassa tricolor ruficollis. Louisiana Heron. \bun- 

 dant and breeds in great numbers throughout the eounty. March 20 to 

 April It). 



*17. Florida crerulea Little Blue Heron.— Abundant, in fact 

 the most numerous of all the Heions, breeding in all parts o( the eounty 

 in small ponds in woods, fields and swamps and islands in the lakes. 

 March 20 to April 10. 



•18. Butorides virescens virescens. Green Heron, bound in all 

 parts of the County, occasionally breeding alone, but more often in rook- 

 eries with other Heions. April I to 30. 



