THE COLOGIST. 



227 



This answer will also apply to the 

 many correspondents desiring descrip- 

 tions of birds. 



To those desiring descriptions of eggs 

 we must refer as per the above answer 

 and to Davie's "Key to the Nests and 

 Eggs of North American Birds." 



W. M. B., Los Angeles, Cala. De- 

 sires to know the difference between 

 the Parkman's and Western House 

 Wrens. 



Mr. C. C. Purdum, of. Wood's Holl, 

 Mass., sends us his method of taking 

 notes on migration, which, by the way 

 is excellent, but as former Oologists 

 have contained similar methods, we do 

 not publish. 



C. A. v., Lake City, Minn., writes. 

 "'During one of my collecting trips this 

 season 1 found a Blue Jay's nest con- 

 taining four eggs, together with which 

 was an egg very similar to a Whip- 

 poor-will, being about the same color, 

 shape and size, though more glossy and 

 smoother. Can you enlighten me as to 

 what variety of a bird deposited tliat 

 solitary egg?" We would suggest that 

 the stray egg must either have been a 

 Blue Jay "sport" or a large egg of the 

 Cowbird. 



Notes on Ardea Eerodias- 



The Great Blue Heron, familiarly 

 known as the Blue Crane, is a common 

 summer resident in Wisconsin. It fre- 

 quents slow streams, muddy lakes and 

 marshes and often liies twenty miles 

 from its nesting plac;e for feeding 

 grounds. 



They do not go in large numbers, 

 generally in twos and threes. Often 

 ■coming upon them in my rambles, 

 Avhen thus silently fishing, I was led to 

 believe there must be a heronry near 

 and the more so when I 'found that 

 they generally came from and returned 

 in a certain direction. By inquiry I 

 located it as being some whei-e in a 

 tamarac swamp covering at least 250 

 acres and distance some lo milcs^as 

 the crow flies— 



In May, '87, with a friend, I visited 



the swamp and after a good deal of 

 climbing we found the heronry; but the 

 nests all contained young. Although 

 we only reached about a dozen nests, 

 as we had no climbers along, we were 

 satisfied that the above was the case, 

 for at the foot of trees, containg nests, 

 we could fine pieces of shells, and 

 where the young were large, could see 

 their legs projecting over the edge of 

 the nest. 



An approaching storm drove us out 

 long before we wished to go, and I then 

 and there resolved to go earlier in '88. 

 Being sick at the time set I put it off till 

 '89. This was my lucky year;' and so 

 on the morning of the 20th of April, at 

 3:00 a. m., in companj- with a friend, I 

 started out. The Horned Larks were 

 abundant on the uplands and sang till 

 dawn. 



Song Sparrows, Juncos, Jays, Robins 

 and Bluebirds were common along the 

 roadside. We noticed two new arrivals 

 for the season also; but, seeing a Heron 

 fishing by a stream, we let our thoughts 

 travel far ahead, and I wished, before 

 we had got over the last five mlies, that 

 our feet might travel as fast. 



We reached the swamjo at 6:10 and 

 waded in. 



The water was three feet deep at the 

 edge, but as we advanced towards the 

 center it grew better. We reached the 

 nests at 8 o'clock and the sight we then 

 saw repaid us well for the wet clothes 

 and bruised bodies. The day was a 

 perfect one. The herons, some sitting 

 on the nests and some flying about 

 uttewug at times their harsh Konk! 

 Konk! maile a picture 1 shall never for- 

 get. 



The sun shone brightly and the air 

 was shifting, but not stopping for a 

 rest, we strapped on our climbers and 

 made for the nearest trees containing 

 eggs, and started on the ascent. We 

 were, or rather I was, doomed to disap- 

 pointment again this year, for we dis- 

 covered much to our chagrin — a part}" 



