112 (J. 11. Merrkmi — Birds of Connecticut. 



that they sometimes stop at Faulkner's Island in spring. Breeds late 

 in May and in early June. 



217. Nyctiardea grisea, var. naevia (Boddert) Allen. Night Heron. 



A common summer resident. Breeds in Pine and Heron Swamps, 

 near New Haven, and in several otlier places about the State, and on 

 islands ott'the coast. Mr. A. J. Da3"an started a small flock on Lake 

 Whitney, April 24th, 1877, and they alighted on a tree. On his near 

 approach all took flight but one, which he brought down, and an 

 examination proved that it had a well marked cataract in the eye 

 facing the direction from which he approached. This is an interest- 

 ing fact in Ornithological pathology. Remains into October. Mr. 

 W. W. Coe, of Portland, Conn., on the 17th of April, 1872, visited a 

 " Heronry'''' of this species, at Rocky Hill, Conn. He writes : " Saw 

 hundreds of nests, each containing from two to five eggs. Eight and 

 even ten nests were frequently found on one tree, and the same nest 

 often contained fresh eggs, eggs half hatched, and young birds. 

 The trees were white from the excrements of the birds, and looked as 

 if they had all been whitewashed; nothing could grow under them."* 



Note. — The Yellow-crowned Niglit Heron {Kyctiardea violocea) 

 has been taken in Massachnsetts, by Mr. Vickery (Oct., lS62),f and 

 doubtless occurs as a rare accidental visitor. 



218. Botanrus minor (Gmelin) Boie. Bittern; Stake-driver. 



A common summer resident. Arrives in April (Apr. 26, 1875, 

 Sage), remaining till Noveml)er. Linsley relates the following annis- 

 ing anecdotes concerning this species: "I obtained a fiue specimen 

 ol' the American Bittern two years since, which had previously given 

 great alarm to many of our inhabitants by its peculiarly doU'fnl and 

 nu)urnful sounds at evening. One man A\ho was laboring near the 

 swamp, it is said, ran a miU' in the gi\'atest consternation, alleging 

 that ' the d — 1 was after him.'' It is also stated by several of oui* 

 most respectable inli:ibitants, that tbrty-si'ven years since, [17{)I>| one 

 hundred men united in a c<)m])any on the Sabbath to traverse tliis 

 swam]), and succeeded in killing one of these sanu> birds, and that 

 their sounds have not been heard in town since, until the former in- 

 stance occurred which secured a specimen to me."J 



* MS. note.s of W. W. Ooe, Esq. 



f Alien, Rarer I'.irds of Massachusetts, p. HO, IS6!». 



\ Am. Jour. Sei. and Arts, vol. xliv, No. 2, j). 205, 1843. 



