Birds Oar roll Co., Ind. 
B. W. Bvermann 
28. Ardea herodias. Great Blue Heron. —This Heron begins to 
arrive from,, the South quite early in the spring (April 8, 1884; February 
14, March 1 and 18, 1885), and remains until late in October. It seems to 
be by far the most abundant Heron which visits us. At present there are 
two large heronries in the County that I know of. The first of these is in 
Adams township near the northern limit of the County, about six miles 
north of the Wabash and about the same distance east of the Tippecanoe. 
The other is in what is known as the Maple Swamp, in the southern part 
of the County, about six miles south of Wild Cat Creek, or eighteen miles 
from the Wabash. This swamp is made by the widening of a small 
stream called Middle Fork, so that it covers an area of several hundred 
acres. The lower portion of this swamp is covered with a heavy growth 
of swamp ash and soft maple, and in the tops of these trees the Herons 
build their nests. My first visit to this heronry was on June 12, 1882. 
We found more than a hundred pairs nesting there then, and their many 
nests, some no longer used, presented a very interesting sight. Passing 
by the swamp in winter when the leaves are off, the nests show very 
plainly. As many as thirteen nests were seen in one tree, and many 
other trees contained from three to ten nests each. I climbed to many of 
these nests on May 21, 1883, and found young in some and eggs in various 
stages of incubation in the others. It is said that many more nested here 
formerly, but they have been so harassed and molested by squirrel hunters 
and others who annoy them needlessly, that they are being gradually 
driven away. In the last two years the swamp has been ditched and this 
heronry may now be counted among the things of the past. Solitary 
pairs of Herons are found breeding in various other parts of the County, 
and I remember that years ago there was a small colony (of perhaps 
twenty pairs) in shine large cottonwoods about a mile south of Burling¬ 
ton, near my father’s farm. 
Auk, V, Oct,, 1888. p.347- //{? 
On a Oolleetion of Bggs from 
QeoTgia,, EL. 8,Bailey, 
79. Ardea herodias. Great Blue Heron, —Nests near the top of 
very tall trees, sometimes several in the same tree; eggs three or four. 
March 4. 
Bua N.O.CJ, 8, Jan,1883,p,4S 
ZJ 
