NORTH AMEEICAN MARSH BIRDS 167 



nee River, Orange Lake and Pelican Island) ; and formerly Georgia 

 (Chatham County). East formerly to Florida (Pelican Island and 

 Dade County) ; the Bahama Islands (Great Bahama, Abaco, Nassau, 

 Great Inagua, and probably the Caicos Islands) ; probably Santo 

 Domingo; Cuba (Manzanillo); and probably Haiti. South probably 

 to Haiti; Cuba (Manzanillo); Yucatan (probaby Cozumel Island) ; 

 and Tepic (San Bias). West to Tepic (San Bias); Sinaloa (Mazat- 

 lan); and Lower California (San Jose Island). 



The principal colonies now known are located on the islands off 

 the coast of Texas. 



Winter range. — The reddish egret is largely nonmigratory, except 

 in the central northern part of its range. It has been found at this 

 season north to Lower California (La Paz and San Jose del Cabo) ; 

 Sinaloa (Mazatlan); and Florida (Fort Myers, Pinellas County, and 

 Cape Florida). 



Migration.— Early dates of arrival are: Corpus Christi, Texas, 

 March 29, 1903; Orange Hammock, Florida, February 25, 1895; and 

 Micanopy, Florida, March 20, 1909. 



Returns from birds banded on the coast of Texas indicate a some- 

 what extensive southward migration from that region. A young 

 bird (number 233333, Biological Survey), marked at Green Island, 

 Cameron County on May 15, 1923, was killed about October 20, 

 1923, at Cuicatlan, Oaxaca, Mexico, about 600 miles south of the 

 point of banding or at the southern extremity of the known range. 



Casual records. — Few cases of wandering are known, as this species 

 does not appear to indulge in the extensive postnuptial movements 

 that characterize Casmerodius and Egretta. The collection of C. E. 

 Aiken, at Colorado College, Colorado Springs, Colorado, is said to 

 contain an immature specimen shot near that city about August, 

 1875; and during the period from August 17 to 31, 1875, it was 

 reported as not rare in the vicinity of Cairo, lUinois. 



Further evidence of late summer movements is afforded by the 

 record of another bird (number 233347, Biological Survey), banded 

 as a nestling in Cameron County, Texas, on May 15, 1923, and found 

 dead near Galveston, Texas, on August 10, 1923. 



Egg dates. — Texas: 45 records, April 6 to June 14; 23 records. 

 May 16 to 27. Florida: 16 records, December 8 to May 16; 8 rec- 

 ords, April 5 to May 9. 



HYDRANASSA TRICOLOU RUFICOLLIS (Gosse) 

 LOUISIANA HERON 



HABITS 



My first morning in Florida gave me many delightful surprises and 

 some charming new acquaintances. I had been wandering through 

 a fascinating old hammock admiring the picturesque live oaks, with 



