30 • PACIFIC COAST AVIFAUNA No. 7 



May 14, 1899 (Bull. Cooper Orn. Club 1, 1899, 94). Antonin Jay took five 

 fresh eggs at Nigger Slough, Los Angeles County, May 28, 1903, and O. W. 

 Howard found a nest in the same locality. May 25, 1911. It contained three 

 young and one addled egg. I found the birds fairly common at San Jacinto Lake, 

 Riverside County, May 27, 28, 1911 (Condor xiii, 1911, 159). 



95. (191) Ixobrychus exilis (Gmelin). Least Bittern. 



Fairly common summer resident, but, owing to its secretive habits, easily 

 overlooked. I know of no winter records for the species in this locality, nor 

 have I seen any definite data as to the time of its migrations on the Pacific 

 coast. I took a set of five half-incubated eggs at Nigger Slough, Los Angeles 

 County, May 16, 1911, and Antonin Jay took five fresh eggs in the same locality, 

 June 7, 1903. Mr. Jay and myself also found it nesting rather commonly at 

 San Jacinto Lake, Riverside County, May 27, 28, 1911. Seven nests were 

 found, one of which contained one fresh egg, one five eggs, hatching, and the 

 others held sets, variously incubated (Condor xiii, 1911, 159). 



96. (194) Ardea herodias herodias Linnaeus. Great Blue Heron. 

 This bird, generally known as the "blue crane," formerly nested in many 



localities in southern California. At the present time, although the birds are 

 fairly common in the marshes, nesting colonies are very few in the coast dis- 

 trict. J. G. Cooper took eggs near Santa Barbara and San Diego (B., Br. & 

 Ridg., W. B. N. A. i, 1884, 16). A colony formerly nested near Santa Monica, 

 Los Angeles County, but have not done so since about 1901. W. L. Chambers 

 took three sets, each of four heavily incubated eggs, from this colony. May 

 13, 1895 (Condor iv, 1902, 47). E. Davis has taken eggs near Santa Ana, 

 Orange County, and H. J. Lelande and O. W. Howard found two small colo- 

 nies nesting near San Onofre, San Diego County, in late March, 1905. Two 

 sets of fresh eggs were taken on March 30. A few pairs may be seen at all 

 seasons of the year around the Santa Barbara Islands, where they nest on the 

 cliffs. 



97. (196) Herodias egretta ((Hnelin). Egret. 



Thirty or forty years ago this beautiful bird was a common winter resident 

 of southern California. It was also frequently seen in the summer and may 

 have nested occasionally, as it is known to have bred at Tulare Lake, Kings 

 County. J. G. Cooper found it abundant in his time. He met with it near Santa 

 r.arbara in May (B., Br. & Ridg., W. B. N. A. i, 1884, 26). According to B. 

 W. Evermann it was formerly common in the Ventura marshes (Auk in, 

 1886, 91), and in 1885 C. P. Streator noted it as a winter resident at Santa 

 Barbara, though not very common (Orn. & Ool. xi, 1886, 89). 



The deadly and relentless persecution of the plume hunter has resulted 

 in almost complete extermination of the species. At the present time it is sel- 

 dom met with in this locality, and never seen in great numbers. During the 

 last ten years I have seen three or four birds in the marshes of Los Angeles 

 and Orange counties. I saw a bird in a local taxidermist's shop that was 

 killed at Bolsa Chica, Orange County, October 15, 1906. C. B. Linton and 

 Antonin, Jay noted two or three birds at Alamitos Bay, Los Angeles Coimty, 



