131 



Family ARDEID-ffiJ. 

 Genus Ardea Linn. 



236. A. herodias Linn. GREAT BLUE HERON. Commou summer 

 resident. Arrives in April and I have seen a specimen on the Lake 

 shore the first of December after a severe snow storm. 



237. A. egretta Gmel. GREAT WHITE EGRET. A rather common 

 summer visitant throughout Northern Illinois. Generally arrives the 

 last of July and departs in September. Mr. Rice observed two speci- 

 mens near Evanston, March 31st, 1875. Breeds in Southern Illinois 

 and perhaps in other parts of the State. 



238. A. candidissima Gm. LITTLE WHITE EGRET. Much less 

 common than the preceding. Occurs at the same time. 



NOTE. A. ccerulea will probably be found, as it is . t even now more 

 numerous in Southern Illinois during August and September than the 

 two preceding species. 



239. A. virescens Linn. GREEN HERON. Common summer resi- 

 dent everywhere except upon the open prairie, where, however, strag- 

 glers are often taken. 



Genus Nyctiardea Sw. 



240. "N. grisea var. nsevia Allen. NIGHT HERON. Common. 

 Owing to its frequenting the almost impenetrable wild rice swamps 

 this species would be overlooked on a transient visit to- their haunt. 

 The first of July, 1874, I saw a few young of the^ear in the Calumet 

 Marshes, but it was not until June, 1876, that I learned anything re- 

 garding their habits in this state. The middle of this month, in com- 

 pany with my friend Mr. T. II. Douglas, I visited Grass Lake, Lake 

 County, Illinois, some miles west of Waukegan. This "lake" is simply 

 a widening of the Fox River, which flows through its centre, produc- 

 ing a shallow booty of water a mile wide and about three miles long. 

 A large portion of the lake is covered with a dense growth of wild 

 rice. While collecting near a large patch of this we were surprised to 

 see a number of night herons arise from the interior of the patch and 

 commence circling about uttering hoarse cries. Upon examining the 

 place we were still more surprised to find that the birds were breeding 

 in this apparently improbable location. During this and the follow- 

 ing day we examined, within an area of two acres, at least fifty 

 nests of this species. They were all placed in the midst of partic- 

 ularly dense bunches of rice, the stifi', last year's stalks of which, con- 

 verging slightly near the roots, formed a convenient base for their 

 support. The nests were all well-built structures, composed of innu- 

 merable small pieces of dead rice stalks, varying from two to ten 



