24 BIRDS OF ARKANSAS. 



an open, swampy tract of woodland near Camden. When approached 

 they rose leisurely and circled slowly over the tops of the trees for 

 several minutes, but at the discharge of a gun sailed away into the 

 thicker timber. 



This species is reported to appear regularly ia August at TurreU, 

 and Mrs. Stephenson states that great numbers are seen in the fall 

 at Helena, "d rilling high in air." Mr. S. C. DoweU, of Walnut 

 Ridge, has a mounted specimen which was killed in that vicinity. 

 Oberholser, ia 1902, reported the species as occurring abundantly in 

 July and August along Red River north of Texarkana. 



Bittern. Botaurus lentiginosus. 



The bittern, "stake-driver," or "thunder-pump," is a common 

 migrant in Arkansas and may occasionally breed there, though its 

 normal summer home is from Missouri northward. The first spring 

 migrant was noted at Fayetteville March 31 (Harvey, 1883) and at 

 Dehght April 11 (Savage, 1911). The species was common on the 

 St. Francis River, north of Bertig, between April 25 and 30 (1909). 

 It was reported as a summer resident at Newport in 1895. In 

 autumn it has been recorded as arriving at Delight September 15 and 

 16 (Savage) and at Crocketts Bluff October 22.' Bitterns frequent 

 marshes and the borders of streams, where their curious pumping 

 notes may be heard and where they are often flushed and wan- 

 tonly killed by duck hunters. Their food consists largely of frogs, 

 snakes, hzards, crawfish, meadow mice, and fish. 



[Least Bittern.. Bcobrychus exilis. 



This diminutive member of the heron family ia a locally abundant sununer resident 

 throughout the Mississippi Valley, and will doubtless be found as a breeder in the 

 swamps of Arkansas.] 



Grreat Blue Heron. Ardea herodias. 



This fine bird, often called 'blue crane," is a fairly common 

 summer resident and a few remain during the winter. It has been 

 observed in the breeding season at Clinton, Walker Lake, Turrell, 

 and Wilmot, and in fall and winter at Fayetteville, Fort Smith, Mud 

 Lake, and Menasha Lake. It is most common in the bottomlands of 

 the eastern part of the State, and at Walker Lake there is a lai^e 

 rookery containing several hundred nesting pairs. I visited this 

 colony on May 4 and 5, 1910, and found the birds in the midst of 

 their breeding season. The nests were concentrated in an area of a 

 few acres in the middle of a big cypress swamp in which the water was 

 at that time from 3 to 5 feet deep. They were placed near the tops 

 of the larger trees, usually at a point where several limbs forked, 

 and single trees contained from 1 to 10 nests. A few nests at this 

 date contained eggs, but the great majority were occupied by 3'oung 



' Forest and Stream, XIX, p. 286, 1882. 



