WATER BIRDS. 135 
The nest has been found 
but twice, once by J. F. 
Menge, at Lake Flirt, near Fort 
Thompson, Florida, June 8, 
1890, containing four young 
birds (Auk, VIII, 309); and | 
once at Toronto, Ont., Canada, | 
June 15, 1898, where Mr. 
George Pierce, while collecting 
in Ashbridge’s marsh, took a 
female from her nest. This 
was simply a mass of last 
year’s reeds and contained 
one egg. The female, which 
was killed, contained another 
fully developed egg which 
agreed perfectly in size and 
color with the one found in 
the nest. Mr. James H. Flem- 
ing of Toronto, who examined 
the eggs, states that their color 
is much darker than average 
eggs of A. exilis, though he has 
seen a single set as dark (Auk, 
XVIII, 106). The eggs found 
in the nest measured 1.30 by 
1.00. inch. 
TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION. 
Adult male: Crown, back of neck, 
inter-scapulars, rump, tail, bend of 
wing, and under tail- coverts, glossy 
black; front of neck, abdomen, sides, | 
and flanks, chestnut more or less “——— ~~~ oe —————————— 
mixed or shaded with smoky black, 
especially on the sides and flanks; Fig. 33. Cory’s Bittern. 
primaries slate-color without light prom Bull. Mich. Ornith. Club. (By courtesy of P. A. 
tips; outer secondaries gray without Taverner) 
reddish tips, inner secondaries black; 
median wing-coverts chestnut, greater wing-coverts blackish-gray, the inner ones with chest- 
nut tips;no buffy margin on the outer edge of scapulars. Adult female: Similar to 
adult male, but the crown dull blackish instead of glossy black, and the back brownish- 
black without gloss. Young birds appear to be similar to adults of the same sex, but 
many of the dark feathers may be light edged or tipped. 
Length and other measurements practically the same as those of the Least Bittern. 
71. Great Blue Heron. Ardea herodias herodias Linn. (194) 
Synonyms: Common Blue Heron, Blue Crane, Crane.—Ardea herodias, Linn., 1758, 
and most authors. 
Plate VII. 
Largest of our herons, but not to be confused with the Sandhill Crane 
(Compare Fig. 40 and Plate 7). The latter has a comparatively blunt bill, 
partly bald head always without long plumes, and the plumage rather 
