74 BIRDS OF ALABAMA 



Food habits. — The food of the bittern consists mainly of 

 frogs, snakes, lizards, crawfish, mollusks, mice, small fishes, 

 spiders, beetles, grasshoppers, flies, and other insects. 



LEAST BITTERN: Ixobrychus exilis exilis (Gmelin). 



State records. — The least bittern (fig. 1) is an abundant 

 summer resident in the marshes along the coast, and a rare 

 or local breeder in the interior. In migration it may occur 

 almost anywhere in the lowlands. McCormack has taken the 

 bird once at Leighton, May 10, 1902. In the big marshes at 

 Bayou Labatre I found it numerous in May, 1911, and Outsell 

 reported it fairly common on Petit Bois Island in July and 

 August. Peters found it common at Alabama Port in June, 

 1914. At Bon Secour, October 19, 1908, I collected a single 

 specimen, this being the latest date on which the species has 

 been observed. Nests with eggs were found at Bayou La- 

 batre, May 22, 1911, and at Chuckvee Bay, May 28, 1914; a 

 nest which the young had just left was seen at Alabama Port, 

 June 6, 1914. Golsan considers the species a rare breeder in 

 the marshes of the Alabama River near Autaugaville. 



General habits. — This bird is perfectly at home in the reedy 

 marshes, \vhere it clings with ease to the upright stems of 

 the sedges or threads its way rapidly over the oozy ground 

 through the maze of tangled vegetation. Although gentle and 

 unsuspicious, it is rarely seen, for most of its time is spent 

 under cover of the marsh grasses. Occasionally it takes 

 flight, but after the manner of the rails, flies but a short dis- 

 tance before dropping again into the vegetation. The nest, 

 loosely constructed of dead rushes, is placed in rushes a foot 

 or two above the water. 



Food habits. — The bittern, according to Audubon, feeds 

 upon snails, tadpoles, young frogs, lizards, insects, small 

 fishes, and occasionally small shrews and mice. 



GREAT BLUE HERON; "BLUE CRANE :" Ardea herodias 

 herodias Linnaeus. 



State records. — Great blue herons, representing either the 

 typical subspecies or wa/rdi, are common and well known 

 throughout the State under the name of "blue crane" or (on 



