ANDERSON — THE BIRDS OF IOWA. 197 



Genus Herodias Boie. 



71. (196). Herodias cg-re/fa (GmeVm). American Egret. 



At the present time the American Egret can onl}- be accounted 

 a casual or irregular visitor in Iowa. The first Iowa record is 

 that of Lewis and Clarke (Coues Hist, of L. and C. Exp., i, 73). 

 " Aug. nth, great numbers of herrons [herons, Herodias egretta'\ 

 were observed toda5\ [Near the present Badger Lake, Monona 

 county, Iowa. Of the ' herrons,' Lewis' Ms. of Aug. 2d gives a 

 long and good description. — E. Coues.]" The species is listed 

 by J. A. Allen (White's Geol. of Iowa, ii, 426), and John Krider 

 (Forty Years' Notes, 58) says: "I found this bird along the 

 streams as far west as Iowa." W. W. Cooke (Bird Migr. in Miss. 

 Val., 82-83) states: "The few which leave the vicinity of the 

 vicinity of the sea-coast straggle up the Mississippi even to Min- 

 nesota. The greatest wanderers are the young, which, in the 

 fall, often stray northivard into regions where the species is not 

 known to breed." 



This species is one which has suffered greatly from the persecu- 

 tions of plume-hunters, the trailing nuptial plumes or "aigrettes" 

 being greatly prized. In Wisconsin, Kumlien and Hollister state: 

 "so rare at the present time that three or four individuals onl}- 

 visit Lake Koshkonong each year where 'hundreds were found 

 thirt}' years ago during August and September" (Bds. of Wis., 

 1903). "Four records from Nebraska. A specimen was killed 

 near Omaha July 12, 1894, and reported b}' I. S. Trostler" (Rev. 

 Bds. Neb., 33). 



County records: Jackson — " have no late records; have for- 

 merly seen hundreds of them at a time on sand-bars in Missis- 

 sippi River" (Giddings). Lee — "mounted specimens without 

 dates often seen. They used to be common. One on April 6th 

 my only date — Keokuk district" (Praeger); "I have only two 

 records for this species; April 17, 1894, on Des Moines River, 

 near Vincennes, Lee county; May 6, 1896, Des Moines River, 

 near Bedford, Lee county " (Currier). Van Buren — "five years 

 ago one was shot near Hillsboro " (W. J. Savage). Wayne — (A. 

 J. Brown). 



Genus Egretta Forster. 



72. (197). Egretta candidissima (Gmelin). Snowy Heron. 

 The Snowy Heron, like the preceding, is only a casual visitor 



[Proc. D. a. S., Vol. XI.] 2S [Sept. 26, 1906.] 



