BIRDS OF 



Nest among the rushes. 



Eggs, 3 to 5 ; white with a bluish tinge. 



This diminutive Bittern, though seemingly slender, and tender, 

 is not only generally distributed in Southern Ontario, but has been 

 reported by Professor Macoun as " common throughout the 

 country" in the North West. At Hamilton Bay it is a regular 

 summer resident, raising its young in the most retired 

 parts of the marsh. The nest is large for the size of the bird, 

 a platform being made for its support by bending down the 

 flags till they cross each other a foot or more above the water 

 level. The whole affair is very loose and readily falls asunder 

 at the close of the season. The Little Bittern is not supposed 

 to be as plentiful as its big brother, but from its retiring habits 

 may be more so than we are aware of. It is seldom seen ex- 

 cept by those who invade its favorite haunts ; when disturbed 

 it rises without note or noise of any kind, and with a wavering 

 uncertain flight passes off for a short distance and again drops 

 among the rushes. It arrives about the end of May and leaves 

 early in September. 



SUBFAMILY ARDEIN^E. HERONS AND EGRETS. 



GENUS ARDEA LINN. 



SUBGENUS ARDEA. 



69. ARDEA HERODIAS LINN. 194 



Great Blue Heron. 



Back without peculiar plumes at any season, but scapulars lengthened 

 and lanceolate ; an occipital crest, two feathers of which are long and filam- 

 entous ; long loose feathers on the lower neck. Length, about four feet ; ex- 

 tent, 6 ; bill, 5j inches ; tarsus, 6 ; middle toe and claw, 5 ; wing, 18-20 ; 

 tail, 7. Female much smaller than male, Adult of both sexes grayish-blue 

 above, the neck pale purplish-brown with a white throat-line, the head black 

 with a white frontal patch ; the under-parts mostly black, streaked with 

 white ; tibia, edge of wing and some of the lower neck feathers orange-brown ; 

 bill and eyes yellow, culmen dusky, lores and legs greenish. The young 

 differ considerably but are never white and cannot be confounded with any 

 of the succeeding. 



76 



