THE OOLOGIST 



313 



body would shoot and trap sparrows 

 as continuously as we do, we are 

 very certain the supply would shortly 

 be limited. All real bird lovers who 

 desire to assist in the protection of 

 our native species will wage a cease- 

 less warfare on that avian rat known 

 as the English Sparrow. — Editor. 



The Herons of South Central 

 Wisconsin. 



The Herons are one of my favorite 

 groups of our North American birds. 

 They are, I think, a magnificent addi- 

 tion to any bit of landscape especial- 

 ly a marsh or piece of flags. They are 

 usually greatly persecuted though gen- 

 erally considered beneficial, or at least, 

 harmless. Seven species have come 

 to my notice in this locality, four of 

 which I have found breeding here. 



American Bittern (Botaurus lenti- 

 ginosus). This fine marsh bird is a 

 common bird with us all through the 

 spring and summer months, and noth- 

 ing sounds more springlike than the 

 Chunk'-a-lunk-plunk' of the Bittern 

 They nest in the marshes in May and 

 June. They feed largely on frogs, 

 snakes, lizards, crayfish, meadow mice, 

 tadpoles and fish. I have collected 

 several sets of eggs. I once collected 

 five whole eggs from a nest containing 

 two broken ones, seven in all. 



Least Bittern (Ixobrychus exilis - ). 

 This beautiful, tiny creature, is a com- 

 mon, though not abundant, summer 

 resident, found in the marshes among 

 the coarser grass and flags, where they 

 place their nests. I have found their 

 nests and eggs, but never have been 

 able to get a set in perfect condition, 

 as usually something destroyed the 

 eggs before the sets were completed. 

 I once discovered one standing among 

 the grass with bill pointed straight up- 

 ward. I walked to it and stood and 



stroked its neck and side for some 

 time. 



Great Blue Heron (Ardea herodias). 

 I have often seen these great birds 

 here during the nesting season, but 

 have never found any nests, but have 

 been told that formerly a few nested 

 near here in some large timber now 

 cut away. I have a set of eggs collect- 

 ed in Michigan. They feed principally 

 on fish, they stand, sometimes on only 

 one foot, still as a statue, often for a 

 long time till the luckless "finny" ap- 

 pears, when quick as a flash, down 

 darts that terrible beak and poor fish 

 is finished, except for a meal. They 

 also feed on frogs, lizards, snakes, 

 mice, young rats, crustaceans, small 

 birds, insects, etc. 



American Egret (Herodias egretta). 

 This magnificent heron occasionally 

 wandered, in former years, into this 

 locality; sometime early in the eigh- 

 ties a few were seen by a pond near 

 here and one shot and mounted and 

 posed for a number of years in a hard- 

 ware store, in the city of Columbus, 

 the admiration of all who see it. They 

 are now nearly exterminated as a re- 

 sult of being killed to supply plumes 

 for the ladies' hats. 



Little Blue Heron (Florida caeru- 

 lea). The Little Blue, occasionally 

 came as far north as this locality 

 where I have seen a few of them in 

 the latter part of the season. This 

 heron has three phases of plumage, 

 white, blue, and mottled, irrespective 

 of age or sex. Food — fish, frogs, liz- 

 ards, crayfish, small crabs and in- 

 sects; also crustaceans and larvae. 



Green Heron (Butosides virescens). 

 The Little Green Heron is a common 

 summer resident, and formerly nearly 

 every grove of small trees near a 

 stream would often have a few nests 

 of these birds. They also nest in with 

 the Black-crowned Night Heron; but 



