108 
THE NIDOLOGIST 
Notes on the Ardea herodias in Texas 
HROUGHOUT the greater portion of 
North America the Great Blue Heron 
(Ardea herodias) is an abundant bird, 
and articles ou its habits are quite numerous 
in Ornithological literature. Yet, withal, I 
have failed to come across an article describ- 
ing the nesting habits of the species in this 
section of the country, and have concluded 
to give what information is at my com- 
mand. 
In this county (McLennan), although the 
birds occur in numbers during the migra- 
tions, I have never observed more than a 
few isolated pairs during the breeding sea- 
son, and these had their nest in tall trees 
growing along rivers in the more heavily 
timbered sections. 
Here the nests are usually composed of 
sticks lined with grass, and are very large 
and flat. The complement of eggs varies 
from three to five, four being the more com- 
mon number. The breeding season com- 
mences about the last of March. The nests 
are often built on slanting limbs over-reach- 
ing the water. 
In some sections of the state, especially 
in the extreme eastern, the breeding habits 
of the Great Blue Heron are similar to those 
of the birds in Florida and Louisiana, nest- 
ing in large rookeries in the midst of retired 
swamps. 
On the sand-bar-like islands lying off the 
coast of Texas, from Corpus Christi south- 
ward, the birds breed abundantly. One of 
these islands near Corpus Christi is known 
as ‘‘Bird Island,’’ and towards its center 
grow quantities of cacti. During the first 
week of last June five species of birds were 
found breeding there—the Brown Pelican, 
Black Skimmer, Laughing Gull and two 
Herons (Ardea herodias and A. caerulea). 
The eggs of the first three species were laid 
in the sand. The Pelicans’ nests contained 
young birds and eggs far advanced in incu- 
bation, and the number of eggs or young 
ranged from two to four. The nests were 
made by the birds scraping up the sand into 
a heap, with a depression, and filling in 
with twigs, small sticks and like material. 
The nests of the Gulls and Skimmers 
were merely hollowed in the sand. Those 
of the Laughing Gull contained from two to 
five eggs, ranging in incubation from almost 
fresh to far advanced, and some few con- 
tained young. The Skimmers’ nests con- 
tained from three to five eggs, varying in 
incubation. 
The nests of the two Herons were com- ~ 
posed of sticks and were built on the tops 
of the cacti, and some were rather well 
made and of fair depth. Some of the nests 
of the Great Blues’ were quite massive in 
proportions. Their eggs ranged from three 
to five; those of the Little Blue Heron, 
Incubation in the eggs 
from two to four. 
of both species was far advanced and some 
nests already contained young. 
On the coast, the Great Blue Heron is 
known as the *‘Blue Crane;’’ the Little 
Blue, the ‘Little ‘Crane;’’ the Skimmer, 
‘*Seissorsbill’’ or ‘‘Shearwater;’’ 
articilla is simply the ‘‘Gull.”’ 
Nests fairly cover Bird Island during the 
breeding season and one can hardly walk 
along without stepping on eggs or young 
birds. Nae 
The following interesting notes I have 
quoted from a letter from my friend, James 
J. Carroll (now-in Mexico), dated at Refu- 
gio, Texas, April ic, 1896: 
‘The Great Blue Heron is a common 
bird in Refugio County, though I have never 
found a large heronry here. The last week 
of February this year, a Mexican brought — 
me some eggs which on examination proved — 
to be those of the Great Blue Heron. He 
said that he found three eggs in one nest: 
and one in another, and one other nest was 
completed but had no eggs in it. He said 
there were a great many birds in the vici- 
nity of these nests. Exactly two weeks 
from the day, March 7, I went, by his 
directions to the place and found six occu- 
pied nests containing from 3 to 5 eggs each. 
Incubation in the sets of four and five had 
begun. In this remarkably short space of 
time, they had constructed their nests, depo- 
sited a full complement of eggs and begun 
incubation. The nests were very substan- 
tial structures of sticks and weeds, some- 
times nicely cupped. They were situated 
at heights of from 5 to 15 feet in a little 
‘motte’ of chapparel, near acreek. From 
mere curiosity I revisited the place on 
March 30, and imagine my surprise to find 
the birds on the nests and full complements 
of eggs again. 
‘“March 25, while collecting near a small 
prairie lake, I saw a great many Herons 
sitting on a ‘motte’ at some distance from 
me. 
tinguish some nests. 
ment I heard the croaking of many young. 
It did not require long for me to dis- | 
To my disappoint- — 
Lh rene Seok. wep ee He els 
and Larus — 
\ 
