OF ARTS AND SCIENCES. 79 



56. Botaurus leiitig-inosus (Moiitag.)- American Bit- 

 tern. 



A not uncommon summer resident of the fresh-water marshes 

 throughout the state. Its habit of breeding on the floating isl- 

 ands of grass at Lake Umbagog was described by Mr. C. J. 

 Maj'nard ('72). In the Saco valley at Intervale, the bird is 

 present in small numbers during late summer, keeping to the 

 grass grown marshes and little brooks on the meadows. Mr. S. 

 A. Shaw ('85) records a specimen obtained at Hampton, on 

 December 11, 1881, and states that one wing had been broken, 

 but was entirely healed. 



Dates : Marcti to November (December 11). 



5*7. Ardetta exilis (Gmel.). Least Bittern. 

 A rare summer resident in the extreme southern part of the 

 state. This bird bar»ly reaches our southern border, and finds 

 the northern limit of its range well within the Transition zone. 

 Ml. C. F. Goodhue is quoted in Mr. Ned Dearborn's '98 list as 

 saying that he is quite sure it has been taken at or near Brad- 

 ford, and Mr. Dearborn also states that it has been reported 

 from the vicinity of Hanover. This report is presumably that 

 given in " A List of the Vertebrates found within thirty miles 

 of Hanover, N. H.," 1891, a list which, though admirable in 

 concept, must unfortunately be used with some caution,. and 

 its statement that the Least Bittern is a " not rare summer resi- 

 dent " certainl}^ should be carefully confirmed. The only trust- 

 worthy records that I have obtained for the bird in this state 

 are: Hampton Beach, a specimen taken in 1869, is in the 

 mounted collection of the Boston Society of Natural History ; 

 Seabrook, where Mr. A. A. Eaton assures me he has seen a 

 specimen killed in town, and in the possession of Mr. Isaac 

 George. Samuels ('67, p. 404) says that it has been found to 

 breed in all the New England states, but I have found no actu- 

 al breeding record for New Hampshire. 



^^. Ardea lierodias Linn. Great Beue Herqn. 

 A rather common spring and fall migrant and summer resi- 

 dent. Doubtless many of the individuals now seen in summer 



