THE' NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY. 53 



ORDER HERODIONES: HERONS, 

 STORKS, IBISES. 



FAMILY ARDELD^G : HERONS, BITTERNS, ETC. 

 Genus BOTAURUS Hermann, 1783. 



Botanrus lentiginosus (Montague). American Bittern. 

 Ardea lentiginosa MONTAGUE, Orn. Diet. Suppl., 1813. 

 Botaurus lentiginosus STEPHENS, Shaw's Gen. Zool., XII, ii, 1819,592. 

 Botaurus minor BOIE, Isis, 1826, 979. 

 Popular synonyms: STAKE-DBIVEB. THUNDEB-PUMP. BOG-BULL. POST- 



DBIVEB. MlBE-DBUM. LOOK-UP. INDIAN HEN, etc. 



A common summer resident, arriving early in April and nest- 

 ing where the growth of rushes is very heavy, or in small reedy 

 ponds in the timber. It departs for its winter home further 

 south about the latter part of October or early in November. 



Its geographical range covers temperate North America and 

 it winters as far south as Cuba and Guatemala. 



Genus ARDETTA Gray, 1842. 

 Ardetta exilis (Gmelin). Least Bittern. 



Ardea exilis GMELIN, S. N., I, ii, 1788. 645, No. 83. 



Ardetta exilis GUNDL., J. f. O., 1856. 345. 



Botaurus exilis REICHEN., J. f. O., 1877, 244. 



Popular synonyms: TOBTOISE-SHELL BITTEBN. AMEBICAN LEAST 



BITTEBN. LITTLE YELLOW BITTEBN. LITTLE BITTEBN. MINUTE 



BITTEBN. 



A common summer resident and may be found nesting in the 

 heavy cane of the marshes and sloughs in the vicinity of Hyde, 

 Wolf and Calumet lakes, Indiana, Its nest is a frail platform 

 placed in the upright canes at a height of about three feet above 

 the water. The Least Bitterns arrive early in April and depart 

 for their winter home about the last of September. 



The range of this species includes the whole of North America 

 from the British Possessions southward, and in South America 

 into Brazil. 



Genus ARDEA Linnaeus, 1758. 



Ardea herodias Linnaeus. Great Blue Heron. 



Ardea herodias LINN^US, S. N., ed. 10, I. 1758, 143. 

 Popular synonyms : BLUE CBANE. BIG FLY-UP-THE-CBEEK. SANDHILL 

 CBANE. 



A not uncommon summer resident. Large colonies nest in 

 the Kankakee region, just south of our limits, the birds pre- 



