CATALOGUE OF CANADIAN BIRDS. 1 37 



nests I found were in small ppnds in a meadow nearly surrounded 

 by woods, and were built three successive years, in one or other of 

 the two ponds among the flags of last year's growth, in one case 

 floating in two feet of water. The complement of five eggs, 

 once of six, was laid by the 26th of May, and in one case incubation 

 had commenced some days previously. The fourth nest I found 

 was in an open, but wet meadow, and the nest was formed of grass 

 in a springy place, very unlike the others. On the 3rd of June the 

 five eggs were much incubated. {Rev. C. J. Young.) This species 

 is rather common in the large marshes in western Ontario. It 

 makes a bulky nest in a dry portion of the marsh and lays four or 

 five eggs, generally four. It nests sparingly throughout all south- 

 western Ontario. Nests have been frequently reported near 

 London. (W. Saunders.) 



Nests in the reeds and grass in nearly all marshes. On June 29th, 

 1892, found a nest at Indian Head, Sask., containing five eggs. 

 The nest was built on a mass of last year's rushes about eighteen 

 inches above the water and consisted of the same materials. The 

 bird feeds upon mice, snakes, frogs and almost anything that has 

 life and that it is able to swallow. (Spreadborough.) 



Breeding in large numbers at Crane lake, Sask., in the marshes. 

 The nest is generally on old dead grass in one or two feet of water, 

 but one containing two eggs partly incubated was found on dry 

 ground on June 9th. On the 20th I found many nests but in 

 nearly all, the eggs were so much incubated that they were unfit 

 to take. Most of the nests contained four or five eggs! One nest 

 was taken which had five eggs in it, one of which was that of the 

 lesser scaup. (Macoun.) 



LXXIII. ARDETTA Gray. 1842. 



191. Least Bittern. 



Ardetta exilis (Gmel.) Gundl. 1856. 



A rare summer resident along the Bay of Fundy between Black 

 river and Mispec, New Brunswick. (Chamberlain.) Accidental at 

 Quebec. (Dionne.) Rare in the district of Montreal but perhaps 

 more plentiful than we think, as it is retiring in its habits. (Winile.) 

 A summer resident near Ottawa. Known to build. (Ottawa 



