Nehrlixg on Birds of Southeastern Texas. 223 



with Herons, Ducks, etc. Particularly common on the prairie ponds in 

 the northern part of Harris County, Texas. 



166. Ardea herodias Liti?i. Great Blue Heron. — Quite regularly 

 distributed, but nowhere common ; breeds on trees near ponds in the woods. 



167. Herodias egretta Gray. White Heron ; Great White 

 Egret. — Abundant summer resident; breeds. This beautiful bird is to 

 be observed in'numbers in all the prairie ponds. They breed in commun- 

 ities on bushes in swamps. The nests are bulky, built of sticks; the nest- 

 ing cavity is very flat; eggs three or four in number. The birds begin to 

 breed in the latter part of April. 



168. Garzetta candidissinia Bouap. Snowy Heron ; Little White 

 Heron. — Exceedingly abundant during a large part of the year. I have 

 seen these birds by thousands in the marshes near the Brazos River 

 and on the Gulf Coast. Large colonies breed in the marshes near Spring 

 Creek, where they build their nests on bushes, or, more frequently, in the 

 lower horizontal branches of forest trees, bordering ponds and marshes. 

 None remain to winter.- • 



169. Florida coerulea Bd. Little Blue Heron. — This beautiful 

 bird is exceedingly abundant in all suitable localities. Many are resident 

 throughout the year, but most migrate further south in winter. They 

 nest in large colonies in swamps and marshes overgrown thickly with 

 bushes. I have always found the nest in the top of button-bushes {^Ccpha- 

 lanthus occidentalis). Eggs three or four, in one case five, in number. I 

 have seen hundreds of nests in one pond. They are built entirely of 

 sticks without any lining. In the second week of May many eggs were 

 already hatched. 



170. Butorides vireacena Bo7iaf. Green Heron. — Common sum- 

 mer resident ; breeds ; never observed in flocks, but always in pairs or singly. 



171. Hydranassa tricolor ludoviciana i?/V/^w. Louisiana Heron. 

 — One specimen, shot May, 18S0, on Spring Creek. Seems to be not very 

 common. Breeds in the swampy woods. 



172. Nyctiardea grisea naevia Allen. Black-crowned Night. 

 Heron. — Not common and very shy. Breeds in the swamps where other 

 Herons have their nests. 



173. Botaurus lentiginosus Stefh. American Bittern. — Occurs 

 during migrations ; none observed in the breeding season or in winter. 



174. Ardetta exilis Gray. Least Bittern. — Common during mi- 

 grations; rare in summer; breeds in the marshes of tule reeds and water 

 shrubs, such as Cepkalantkus occidentalis and Pinckneya pubescens, in 

 company with Herons and other water fowl. 



175. Grus americana Temm. Whooping Crane. — From November 

 to the end of March these beautiful birds are exceedingly abundant on 

 all the low prairies in the vicinity of Houston. Very shy. 



176. Grus canadensis Temm. Sandhill Crane. — Even more 

 abundant than the preceding. Observed flocks of many hundreds on the 

 low prairies in the western and northern parts of Harris County. Very shy. 



177. Porzana Carolina Bd. Carolina Rail; Sora. — Seen in 

 summer: breeds, but I have not discovered the nest. 



