Birds. 35 



49. Ixobrychus exilis. 



LEAST BITTERN. 



An uncommon summer resident. Taken at New ^ York 

 Mills, May, 1892 ; Oneida, August, 1892 ; Vernon, 1897 ; Verona 

 Beach, September i, 1898. 



50. Ardea herodias herodias. 



GREAT BLUE HERON. 



A common summer resident. Breeds near the western end 

 of Oneida Lake. Northrup in the "Ornithologist and O6I0- 

 gist," Vol. X, page 11, described this heronry, which has 

 existed ever since. A very interesting letter received a short 

 time ago from Mr. A. A. Beardsley of Constantia tells that 

 about 189s the timber was cut where the heronry was located 

 in "Pody-gut Bay," which was locally known as "Crane 

 Heaven." The next year the birds, or what was left of them, 

 moved east and came within about one mile of Constantia, in 

 what is known as "Three Mile Bay." "I don't think there 

 are quite so many as there used to be, but they are still nesting 

 here and, with the protection they now have, I think in a few 

 years they will be as plentiful as ever." 



51. Herodias egretta. 

 EGRET. 



A rare visitant from the South. One was taken by Mr. A. H. 

 Eysaman of Eatonvill.e in the spring of 1882 in the town of 

 Herkimer, Herkimer County. He reports that there were six 

 of these birds in a flock and they remained in the vicinity 

 about a month, but only one was taken. Messrs. Davis, taxi- 

 dermists, of Utica, mounted a specimen which was killed on 

 the Mohawk flats several years ago. A specimen was killed in 

 Marcy, November 10, 1889, and lastly I am able to report a 

 personal visit from this rare bird at my summer home on 

 Verona Beach. The bird was first observed on the beach 



