THEBIRDSOFTEXAS 17 



80. Herodias egretta. American Egret 



Formerly an abundant summer resident of the cypress swamps of 

 Eastern and Southeastern Texas, now exceedingly rare. Winters in 

 the southern coast counties. 



81. Egretta candidissima. Snowy Heron. 



Formerly an abundant species in the marshes and lagoons of South- 

 ern and Eastern Texas, now almost exterminated. Capt. M. B. Davis, 

 Secretary of the Texas Audubon Society, recently reported a small 

 colony of fifteen pairs in a locality in Eastern Texas where the birds 

 had formerly bred by the hundreds. They were not disturbed and it 

 is reasonable to suppose that they are responsible for adding at least 

 fifty more Snowy Egrets to our avian population. At the close of the 

 breeding season in former years these birds would occasionally strag- 

 gle westward into the central portion of the State (Waco and Marlin). 



82. Dichromanassa rufescens. Reddish Egret. 



Gulf coast counties, formerly abundant but now rather uncommon. 

 Formerly reported from as far west as San Antonio. Reported by 

 Sennett and Hancock as breeding in Laguna Madre and other locali- 

 ties near Corpus Christi. Carroll reported it as rare summer resident 

 of the coast region of Refugio county, and the writer observed quite a 

 number of specimens in Matagorda county in 1908. 



83. Hydranassa tricolor nificollis. Louisiana Heron. 



Rather uncommon summer resident of the coast counties. Dresser 

 reported its occurence at San Antonio, but it is not mentioned from 

 that locality by Attwater. Reported breeding near Houston by NehrUng 

 and as an abundant breeder on the Lower Rio Grande by Merrill and 

 Sennett. Recorded as common along the Red River north of Tex- 

 arkana in 1902 by Oberholser (Howell, Birds of Arkansas). 



84. Florida caenilea. Little Blue Heron. 



Eastern half of the State, breeding in suitable localities, abundant. 

 Recorded by Lloyd as a resident as far west as San Angelo. Breeds 

 in several localities near Waco. I have seen thousands of these birds 

 in the white phase of plumage in the marshes of Central Texas in late 

 June and early July. 



85. Batorides virescens. Green Heron. 



The entire State, most abundant in the eastern half, breeding locally 

 throughout its range. 



