Observations on Cincinnati Birds. 117 



214. Tantalus loculator, L. — Wood Ibis. — In view of the rarity of 

 this species here, the following account of its occurrence by Dr. Ha^^- 

 mond merits repetition: — " These large and curious birds occasionally 

 visit the "Whitewater Valley in the month of August. Some years ago. 

 I kept one (which had a broken wing) about six weeks. In that time 

 it became very tame, learned its name and would come when called. 



We fed it upon living fish, which it would swallow with amazing 

 rapidity-, except catfish, which required labor and time to dispose of 

 It died from having eaten a Mackerel which had been placed in a basin 

 to soak."* 



218. Ardea candidissima, Gmelin. — Little White Egret. — Mr. Dury 

 notes the capture of a specimen on the Reading Eoad, near Avondale, 

 several years ago. 



211. Nyctiardea grisea, Steph. var. N^>via, Allen. — Night Heron .^ 

 Qua-bird. — A fine male of this species, taken near Covington, Ky., in 

 April, 1878, has been placed in the museum of this Society through the 

 kindness of J. W. Hall, Jr. It is a bird of very unusual occurrence in 

 this vicinitj', although exceedingly abundant in many localities, East 

 and North, during the breeding season, and a common resident in the 

 Southern States. It is said to breed in some parts of Ohio, and its 

 rarit}'^ in this portion of the State is doubtless owing to absence of the 

 swampy w^oods which are its favorite breeding resorts. 



223. Ardetta ExiLis, Gr. — Least Bittern. — Through Mr. Shorten, I 

 learn that a specimen of this diminutive Heron was picked up alive in 

 the streets of Cincinnati, in September, 1877. 



221. Grus americanus, Ord. — Whooping Crane. — Additional speci- 

 mens of this magnificent bird are reported; one, in the collection of 

 Mr. Lucius Curtis, taken near Cartilage (Dar}'); another, taken May 

 30, 1877, at West Elkton, Preble county, Ohio, by Dr. W. C. Robert- 

 son (Shorten). 



236. — Anser albifrons. Gm. var, Gambeli, Cones. — American 

 White-fronted Goose. — Specimen shot near Miamitown, Ohio (Dury). 



261. Pelecanus trachyrhynchus. Lath. — White Pelican. — Of occa- 

 sional occurrence on the Ohio river during the migrations, and I learn 

 of the capture of three or four specimens in as many years. Dr. J. H. 

 Hunt has seen a specimen in the gray or immature plumage, taken at 

 the mouth of the Great Miami. 



262o. Graculus dilophus, var. floridanus. Cones. — Florida Cormo- 

 rant. — Mr. Dury has favored me with an exceedingly interesting ac- 

 count of the former abundance of this species at St. Mar^-'s Reservoir, 

 in which he saN^s: " On the south side of the Reservoir, about seven 



* Indiana Geol- Survey, 1869.— Birds of Franklin Co., page 229. 



