WATER BIRDS. 139 



72, Greater Egret. Herodias egretta (GmeL). (196) 



Synonyms: Great White Egret, American Egret, Wliite Egret, (sometimes erroneously 

 WWte Heron or Great White Heron). — Ardea egretta, Gmel., 1788, Wils., Nutt., Aud., 

 and others. — Herodias egretta, Gray, 1849, Baird, 1858, Coues, 1882. 



The large size and pure white color are distinctive. 



Distribution.- — Temperate and tropical America, from New Jersey, Minne- 

 sota and Oregon south to Patagonia; casually on the Atlantic coast to 

 Nova Scotia. 



This large and beautiful bird is by no means common in any part of the 

 state, but its snow white plumage, large size, and the fact that it frequents 

 open marshes and mud flats makes it likely that a large part of the few 

 individuals which occur in the state are seen and reported if not actually 

 killed. As mentioned later it is possible that the species formerly bred or 

 may do so now occasionally in the southern part of the state, but its normal 

 nesting grounds are farther south and nine-tenths of the Michigan records 

 for the species are in July, August, and early September. Occasionally 

 several species of herons wander considerably north of their breeding 

 grounds after the nesting season, and this habit is well marked in the case 

 of the Greater Egret. 



Our records for the state are as follows: One shot at St. Clair Flats 

 about 1886, and in possession of a Frenchman living on the Cana- 

 dian Flats (Swales). "Three or four have been shot near Plymouth 

 during my recollection; one of these is now in my possession. All were 

 taken during the months of July and August" (Purdy). A specimen in 

 the Broas collection said to have been taken in the vicinity of Belding; 

 now in the Agricultural College Museum. A specimen in the collection of 

 the Monroe Marsh Club, taken at least twenty years ago and mounted by 

 Sauvage. The latter thinks that he stuffed this specimen in 1882. Ex- 

 amined March 1, 1905 (Barrows). Mr. James Gunsolus, the present Keeper 

 of the Monroe Marsh Club, says that he has never seen this species in the 

 ten years or more of his connection with the club. A specimen taken on 

 Saline River, Washtenaw county, August 15, 1877, one of four seen (Covert). 

 A male taken July 12, 1886, near Ann Arbor, and another (female) taken 

 July 22, 1888 in the same region, both by Covert. A specimen taken April 

 14, 1877 in Kalamazoo county, and in the collection of G. B. Sudworth 

 (Gibbs). Another specimen, shot by William Glover on the Kalamazoo 

 River, July 9, 1886, and now in the collection of the Michigan Agricultural 

 College (Barrows). Dr. Gibbs writes "Every few years I hear of a number 

 of these birds being seen about Kalamazoo. They are never numerous 

 at any time, and I have not in my life seen half a dozen individuals all told." 

 A specimen taken September 10, 1881, near Saline, IMich. and mounted by 

 Norman A. Wood of Ann Arbor. Mr. Jason Nichols of Lansing saw four 

 "White Herons" in that vicinity in the summer of 1883 and they probably 

 belong to this species. There are two mounted specimens in the Barron 

 collection at Niles, without data, but probably local. 



We have been told of specimens believed to be Greater Egrets, seen or 

 taken, in five or six other places in the state, but have not been able to 

 verify the statements. According to Amos Butler, this species formerly 

 bred in some numbers in the Kankakee Marshes in northern Indiana 

 (Proc. Ind. Acad. Sci. for 1897). In his Birds of Indiana Mr. Butler has 

 the following: "Breeds in some numbers locally in the northern part 

 of the state (Indiana), and the lower Wabash Valley, in situations similar 



