BUFFALO SOCIETY OF NATURAL SCIENCES II 



ing on the length of time they have been occupied. The 

 birds add to them every season building them of stout twigs, 

 lining them with strips of bark and placing them invariably 

 in the highest elms from ioo to 120 feet. They would afford 

 a very interesting specimen of bird architecture in any col- 

 lection. About the middle of April everything has been pre- 

 pared and in shape for the family. 



Most of the authorities state that the Great Blue Heron 

 la)^ from three to four eggs, but this does not correspond 

 with our experience. We found as a general thing, that the 

 nest contained sets of four or five and several with six. 

 They are usually of a dull blue color although we have one 

 set of four eggs which are nearly white. 



On April 29th, the proper time for the eggs, we made 

 another visit to the heronry. Leaving our baggage at a hotel 

 near the railroad station, we procured a commodious two 

 seated rig and started for the swamp amid the interested 

 comments of the occupants of the hotel. The horse had a 

 habit of jumping constantly on all fours which perplexed us 

 somewhat until we discovered that he was totally blind. The 

 effort required to keep the animal in the road required all 

 the driver's attention, the rest of us keeping up an animated 

 discussion on the subject at hand. Finally reaching a farm 

 house near the heronry, we found some enthusiastic farmers 

 who went with us and carried part of our heavy outfit. It 

 is a very difficult trip to the swamp, the water in some places 

 being waist high, making it necessary to wade and carry the 

 equipment about our shoulders. The nesting site being 

 reached, we promptly got in working order, putting on our 

 climbers and starting up the trees. The elms are very tall, 

 some as high as 140 feet. On reaching a suitable situation 

 above a nest, a strong cord was lowered and the camera 

 attached to it and drawn up. After some search we found a 

 nest with six eggs, a picture of which is shown. Before 

 coming down, the photographer took several exposures to 

 insure a perfect picture. 



Our final visit made on the 24th of June, some two months 

 later to procure pictures of the full fledged young was quite 

 successful. By this time the foliage was very thick making it 

 much more difficult to find the nest. Under the g-uidance of 



