BIRDS OP PENNSYLVANIA. 



19 



tached to the stems several inches above it. It is flat, composed of 

 dried or rotten weeds, and in shape resembles that of the Louisiana 

 Heron, though this latter employs nothing but sticks. The eggs are 

 three or four, seldom more, of a dull greenish- white, without spots, 

 an inch and a quarter in length, almost equal at both ends. * * * 

 In two instances, I found the nests of the Least Bittern about three 

 feet above the ground in a thick cluster of smilax and other briary 

 plants. In the first, two nests were placed in the same bush, within 

 a few yards of each other. In the other instance, there was only one 

 nest of this bird, but several of the Boat-tailed Grakle, and one of 

 the Green Heron, the occupants of all of which seemed to be on 

 friendly terms. When started from the nest, the old birds emit a few 

 notes resembling the S3 r llable qua, alight a few yards off and watch 

 all your movements. If you go towards them, you may sometimes 

 take the female with the hand, but rarely the male, who generally 

 flies off or makes his way through the woods." 



FOOD. 



According to Nuttall, this species subsists chiefly on small fish and 

 aquatic insects. Audubon states that " the food of this bird consists 

 of snails, slugs, tadpoles, or young frogs and water-lizards. In sev- 

 eral instances, however, I have found small shrews and field-mice in 

 their stomachs." 



SUBFAMILY ARDEINJE. HERONS AND EGRETS. 



GENUS ARDEA. LIXXJEUS. 

 194. Ardea herodias. Lixx. 



Great Bine Heron; "Big Crane." 



DESCRIPTION. 



Lower third of tibia bare ; above bluish-ash ; edges of wing and the tibia rufous; 

 neck cinnamon-brown ; head black, with a white frontal patch ; body beneath black, 

 broadly streaked on the belly with white ; crissum white ; middle line of throat 

 white, streaked with black and rufous. 



Adult. Bill yellow, dusky at the base and greenish above ; the forehead and cen- 

 tral part of the crown are white, encircled laterally and behind by black, of which 

 color is the occipital crest and its two elongated feathers ; the neck is of a light smoky 



