28 Contributions from the Charleston Museum. 



eggs was taken May 1, 1900, near Mount Pleasant, but in the 

 region about Yemassee this species breeds at least a week earlier. 



Three Least Bitterns were seen in gardens onTradd St. in Charles- 

 ton on April 9, 1908. One of these was captured and partly eaten 

 by a cat. The head, feet, and wings of this specimcen are pre- 

 served in the Charleston Museum. 1 This record was published in 

 the Bulletin of the Charleston Museum 2 by Mr. Herbert Ravenel 

 Sass. 



This peculiar little species is nocturnal and is seldom seen dur- 

 ing the day, unless flushed, when it flies for a short distance and 

 drops suddenly into the marshes. During the migrations in 

 late September and the early part of October, numbers of these 

 birds can be seen on the salt marshes during high tides. 



67. Ardea herodias Linn. Gkeat Blue Heron. 



This heron, which is exceedingly abundant, is a permanent 

 resident, and I have seen many during the severe winters of 

 1886, 1895, 1899, and 1904. I mention this merely to show that 

 it is a very hardy bird, apparently not susceptible to a tempera- 

 ture of 8° above zero. 



The birds breed in large colonies within a couple of miles of 

 the sea and every day large numbers are to be seen going 

 to and coming from their nesting resorts, which are in 

 swamps in pine woods. In some forward seasons the eggs 

 are laid during the second week of March, but they are 

 usually laid in the latter part of the month. The nests 

 that I have seen near the sea were invariably placed in the 

 tops of the tallest pine trees, from ninety to one hundred 

 and twenty feet, approximately, above the ground. Some 

 of the most suitable trees contained as many as ten nests. 

 Upon visiting one of these breeding rookeries on a very windy 

 day in March, I noticed that all the incubating birds, upon the 

 approach of a gust of wind, would arise in their nests, but as soon 

 as the gust subsided they would quietly resume their sitting 

 posture, although many eggs were thrown out by the wind. 

 About Yemassee, this species breeds in the cypress swamps, 

 placing its nests in the tops of the tallest cypress trees. Three 

 or four eggs are laid, which are of a greenish blue color, and 



> Spec. No. 7067. » IV, 49. 



