NESTS AND EGGS OF NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 123 



taken in Ohio — that of Dr. Kirtland's in 1850. Two specimens were seen 

 and one was taken near Fairport, Lake County. This species breeds in 

 marshy places, placing the nest in the reeds and rushes. 



504. White-faced Glossy Ibis — plegadis guarauna. This beautiful, 

 lustrous Ibis inhabits southwestern United States and south into tropical 

 America. It is found as far north as Kansas, west through New Mexico 

 and Arizona to California. It is especially abundant in southern Texas; 

 and in some localities along the banks of the Rio Grande swarms by thou- 

 sands. At this place Dr. Merrill, on the i6th of May, 1877, visited a 

 large patch of tule reeds growing in a shallow lagoon, about ten miles 

 from Fort Brown, in which large numbers of this Ibis and several kinds of 

 Herons were breeding. The reeds covered an area of perhaps seventy- 

 five acres or less. Besides the Ibises, the Great and Little White Egrets, 

 Louisiana and Night Herons, and several other birds were breeding here. 

 The reeds grew about six feet above the surface of the water, and were 

 either beaten down to form a support for the nests, or dead and partly 

 floating stalks of the previous year were used for that purpose. He says 

 it was impossible to estimate the number of the Ibises and different Her- 

 ons nesting here, and further says: "Both nests and eggs of the Ibises 

 were quite unlike those of any of the Herons, and could be distinguished 

 at a glance. The nests were made of broken bits of dead tules, supported 

 by and attached to broken and upright stalks of living ones. They were 

 rather well and compactly built, and were usually well cupped, quite un- 

 like the clumsy platforms of the Herons. The eggs were nearly always 

 three in number, and at this date were far advanced in incubation ; many 

 of the nests contained young of all sizes. Fifty eggs now before me av- 

 erage 1.95 by 1.35, the extremes being 2.20 by 1.49 and 1.73 by 1.29; 

 they are decidedly pointed at the smaller end, and are of a deep bluish- 

 green color." 



505. Roseate Spoonbill — ajaja rosea. Ashy- white, spotted and 

 blotched rather sparsely with a reddish-brown, nearly elliptical in shape, 

 usually three in number; size about 2.56 by 1.80. The Roseate Spoon- 

 bill inhabits the South Atlantic and Gulf States, and southward into Tropi- 

 cal America. It is a constant resident in Florida and is rare as far north 

 as the Carolinas. In vol. i, "Random Notes, " there appears a very in- 

 teresting article entitled: "The Roseate Spoonbill in Florida Rookeries." 

 The writer found them breeding in a cypress swamp in which grew numer- 

 ous small trees and large bushes. In this herony was also found breeding 

 the American Egrets, Snowy Herons, Great Blue, Louisiana and Little 



