THE NIDOLOGIST ) 
Ardea herodias Nests on the Ground 
O THE Editor of THE NIpoLocisT; 
Sir: In response to your request, and 
as the night crying bells sounded at sunset 
on April 29, 1897, the 22 ton yacht Hmer- 
ald slipped moorings and sped away in the 
gathering darkness on a twenty-mile run 
toward the southern marshes of San Fran- 
cisco bay. ‘The course was directed to the 
mouth of a creek in the salt marsh near 
which a colony of Great Blue Herons had 
been previously located, avd here we found 
anchorage. 
In the morning the launch was dispatched 
in search of oysters, and two of the men, 
provided with camera and egg basket, 
rowed a light skiff up a narrow ‘“‘cork- 
screw’’ creek toward the heronry. 
As we drew near the spot a great flock 
of Herons arose from tke marsh, and after 
circling for a few moments flew off about a 
quarter of a mile and alighted to watch our 
approach. Occasionally small flocks re- 
turned to take note of our proceedings. 
When the creek had narrowed to about 
15 feet—and its thread became as tangled 
as thread usually doesin a bachelor’s hands 
—we reached the colony, and from the 
white nests, standing out in bold relief 
against the dark green and brown marsh 
grass on the banks of the creek, scores of 
long feathered necks arose, cavernous 
mouths opened and hundreds of raucous 
squawks greeted our arrival. There were 
little downy, pin-feathed ‘‘Cranes’’ re- 
sembling large squabs, half-grown ones 
with wide-open, hissing throats, and others © | 
who were beginning to realize the possi- 
bilities of flight. 
From the course of the creek it was evi- 
dent that the Herons had selected the high- 
est spot on the salt marsh for a nesting © 
place. The rookery is about two miles 
from the mainland and three-quarters of a 
mile from the bay shore, and here, within 
an area less than an acre in extent, are 
located more than fifty nests. -I counted 
thirty-six from one point. 
The nests were constructed of smaller 
sticks than is usual in those found in trees, 
the birds securing twigs, none more 
than 34 of an inch in diameter, from bushes 
which grow to a height of about three feet 
on the marshes. 
inches in height. Some lined withdry grass. 
Depression was from three inchesin the 
older nests to9 inches in the more modern 
ones, the average being 4 inches. Most of 
the nests were bleached offal white and had 
apparently been in use for many years. All 
were remarkably neat and clean. They 
were ranged along the edge of the winding’ 
creek, about 8 feet apart, and another row 
of nests would be found on the opposite side. 
Three or four eggs or the same number of 
young Herons were found in most of the 
| 
They were from 6 to 18. 
