18 0. S. U. Naturalist. [Vol. 1, No. 2 



they remained stationary and turned round and round with their 

 heads under water, catching the small crustacians that seem to be 

 their principal diet. The form of their beak is such that when it is 

 placed on the ground the upper mandible is underneath. This being 

 large and strong, soon opens up the circular depression that first 

 called my attention. Before the tide is all out they usually leave 

 because the crustaceans have by this time hidden in the sand. 



The flamingo frequents this coast only during the winter months 

 and consequently does not nest here, nor is it known to nest west of 

 the Andes mountains. Tlieir nests and young, however, have been 

 observed in great numbers in the small lakes of brackish water that 

 abound on the plains of Patagonia east of the mountains. Undoubt- 

 edly these are the same birds that sj^end their winters in Chile, the 

 lofty Andes proving no barrier to their flight. There are many roads 

 by which they can pass, the mountains being intercepted by frequent 

 rivers that empty into the Pacific, and have their origin beyond the 

 snow-covered Andes, in the plains of the Argentine Eei)ublic. 



AGGRESSIVE CHARACTER AND ECONOMIC ASPECT OF 

 THE WHITE HEATH ASTER. 



W. A. Kellerman. 



(Plate 3.) 



The White Heath Aster (Aster ericoides) is an indigenous species 

 whose distribution is given in our manuals as "Canada, Florida, and 

 the Mississippi," " Maine and Ontario to Florida, west to Wisconsin 

 and Kentucky," and "South New England to Minnesota and south- 

 ward," theivariety pilosus "mainly in the Western States." It is 

 one of the commonest Asters throughout Ohio, occurring doubtless in 

 every county in our State. The variety pilosus seems to be the 

 common form in our region, and may be seen growing in rich and 

 poor soil with almost equal thrift, and occurring in all habitats 

 except the woods and swamps. 



Its capacity for adaptation to the advance of civilization is 

 remarkable, and this occasions the remark now very generally heard 

 among the farmers that it is a "new weed in the region," " not 

 known here five years ago," " just came all at once," " the latest and 

 worst weed we have," and other expressions of similar import. As 

 a matter of fact, the roadsides in many places are lined with it, 

 fields with a poor stand of clover, timothy, or blue grass are com- 

 pletely covered with it, and all waste places, vacant lots, and neg- 

 lected spots are profusely decorated with the same. 



The plant is a rather coarse weed ; but in spite of this fact it is 

 somewhat attractive because of the masses of green foliage and the 

 white flowers that become prominent before the summer is gone, and 

 last throughout the early and middle autumn. The stems are tough 



