122 Thr Wu.sox Bd.letix— Xo. 08 



4S. Herod'nis vfircthi. — American Eitret. 



There is a spefiuien in tlie rollection of ^Ir. R. E. Jnnip. of Ober- 

 lin. wliifh was captured by Mr. Jninj) prior to 188."!. in tlie vicinity 

 of Oberlin, and a specimen in tlie collection of Mr. A. Ilensartner. 

 of Lorain, taken near Lorain in 1897. by Mr. Ilensartner. These 

 \A'ere undoubtedly wanderers far out of the ordinary range of the 

 species. 



40. Biitoridcs vircsrei)ii. — Green Heron. 



A tolerably common breeding bird over the whole region. The 

 first migrants reach us near the ^Hth of April, and the most have 

 leir the region by the first of October. The latest record is No- 

 vember 13, 1897, when one tarried in the vicinity of the Oberlin 

 Water Works reservoir all the autumn. Trior to 1000 it was not 

 unusual to find groups of a half dozen nests in the button bush 

 tiiickets at Oak Point and elsewhere, but of late years nests are 

 more often found singly in such situations or in orchards. They 

 sometimes resort to thickets of slender second growth along the 

 borders of streams. These herons eat great mnnbers of grass- 

 ho])pers. as examination of stomachs i)roves. 



no. Xi/cticorn.r nycticara.r iKrriiix. — Rlack-crowned Night Heron. 



The only specimen taken in the region is now in the collection of 

 Mr. K. E. Jump, of Oberlin. I have searched for the bird in vain, 

 but am not yet convinced that it is as rare as the lack of success 

 would indicate. 



."il. h'olliis clcf/aiis. — King Kail. 



On three visits to a lagoon on ]\Iiddle I*ass island the King Rails 

 have been the most conspicuous birds there. All of these visits 

 were a month after the Itreeding season, so it is likely that a good 

 many young birds were among the lot. In the Sandusky marshes 

 the birds are less easily foiuid. and seem to I)e less numerous. Dur- 

 ing the nngrations single individuals may be fomid practically any- 

 where out of the woods. I have met them along roadsides, in barn 

 yards, about small field jionds, in the marshes, and along the sand 

 spit. Away from the wet places the single birds are usuall.v no 

 more wary than a hen, but in the marshes they get out of sight 

 quickly, or even fly away from one. The spring migration seems 

 to take place during the first week of Mny. In 1000 I found two 

 individuals at the sand spit on October in. and one on the 22d. 

 Whether or not this is unusually late I am unable to sa.v. since 

 these are my oidy fall records. 



."2. I'dlliix rii(ii)iiiiinis. — Virginia Rail. 



Connnon in tlie marshes from tlie middle of .\pril until the first 

 of October, and not infre(iuently found in any wet jilace. A pair 

 raised a brood of eleven in a small swamj) made by removing earth 



