BIRDS OF MAINE. 39 



County Records. Androscoggin, "rare summer resident" (Johnson) ; 

 Cumberland, "found breeding at Falraouth in 1863" (Smith's List of the 

 Birds of Maine, Forest and Stream, Vol. 20, p. 105); Knox, "rare 

 migrant" (RacklifT) ; Sagadahoc, "rare, two specimens" (Spinney) ; 

 Wellington, "rare" (Boardman). 



Subfamily ARDEIN^. Herons and Egrets. 



Genus ARDEA Linnaeus. 



Subgenus ARDEA. 



81. (194). Ardea herodias Linn. Great Blue Heron. 



A very common summer resident throughout the state. Col- 

 onies of from three to one hundred pairs of birds may still 

 be found nesting in isolated localities about ponds and lakes. 

 In such places they seem to prefer to place their nests in tall rock 

 maplp or beech trees, and as many as six nests are often seen in 

 one tree. Many small colonies also breed on the numerous wooded 

 islands along the seacoast, and here the nests are almost invariably 

 placed in spruce trees, or at least this is the case among the 

 islands of Penobscot Bay. 



County Records. Androscoggin, "fairly common summer resident" 

 (Johnson) ; Aroostook, "common" (Batchelder, Bull. Nutt. Orn. Club. Vol. 

 7. p. 151) ; Cumberland, "common summer resident" (Mead) ; Franklin, 

 "common summer resident" (Swain) ; Hancock, "breeds commonly on 

 three or four islands of Penobscot Bay and about the ponds of the 

 interior" (Knight) ; Kennebec, "common summer resident" (Gardiner 

 Branch); Knox, "summer" (Racklift); Oxford, "breeds commonly' 

 * Nu<h) ; Peuobscot, "I know of at least two heroneries occupied yearly, 

 and perhaps there are fifty or sixty pair of birds at the two places" 

 (Knight) ; Piscataquis, "common, breeds" (Homer) ; Sagadahoc, "com- 

 mou fall and spring" (Spinney) ; Somerset, "common summer resident" 

 (Morrell) ; Waldo, "summer resident" (Knight) ; Washington, "common" 

 (Boardman); York, (Adams). 



Subgenus HERODIAS Boie. 



82. (196). Ardea egretta Gmel. American Egret. 



An accidental visitor from the south ; four specimens have been 

 taken within the state, while Mr. Boardman has also taken one at 

 Grand Menan. 



County Records. Cumberland, "one taken August 22nd, 1853" (Smith's 

 List of the Birds of Maine, Forest and Stream, Vol. 20, p. 104), "one at 

 Scarborough in April, 1875" (Rod and Gun, Vol. 6, p. 65) ; Hancock, "one 

 shot at Cranberry Island on April 7th, 1891, byElwood Richardson" (E. 

 Smith) ; Kennebec, "one shot by Will Libby on Pleasant Pond, between 

 Richmond and West Gardiner, August 20th, 1896, this was in company 

 with another of the same species" (Powers). 



