Birds or Indiana. 647 



am so little in that part of the country, I am unable to state whether 

 they occur there regularly or not. I believe that the species formerly 

 bred in small numbers in that portion of the Wabash Valley, though I 

 have no distinct evidence upon which to base this supposition. Most 

 of the birds now seen there, however, occur late in summer (August 

 and September), a considerable portion of them, perhaps a majority, 

 being young birds of the year." 



Mr. Eidgway further says that he saw at "Mt. Carmel the dried head 

 of one that was killed by a hunter at the Cypress Pond in Knox 

 County," and that he has been reliably informed of others having been 

 killed there. 



Prof. B. W. Evermann says: "Last September (1888) I saw a 

 mounted specimen in a store window at Mt. Vernon, Ind., and, upon 

 inquir}', learned that it was shot by a fisherman, Dexter Short, about 

 October 30, 1887, at Hovey's Lake, Posey County, Indiana. There 

 were about thirty-five or forty in the flock, 'the first ever noticed in the 

 county,' according to the fisherman. They remained in the vicinity 

 for four or five weeks, and ^hen disappeared. Several of them were 

 killed, but I could learn of but one that was preserved. It is now in 

 the possession of Mr. John C. Leffel, of Mt. Vernon. On September 

 11, 1888, while engaged for the United States Fish Commission in ex- 

 ploring the Wabash River, I had the good fortune to come upon a 

 flock of nine Wood Ibises at Mackey's Ferr}'-, ten miles west of Mt. 

 Vernon. They were sitting in the tops of two dead trees, Just across 

 the river on the Illinois side, and remained there during the entire 

 time of our stay at the Ferry — from about 8 to 11 a. m. In addition 

 to these, I find the following general references to its occurrence in In- 

 diana : An old hunter of this city (Terre Haute), in whom I have con- 

 fidence, tells me that his father shot a Wood Ibis several years ago 

 from a fiock of several at the old reservoir south of Terre Haute. From 

 the description given by the hunter, I am quite certain that he was not 

 mistaken. I may add that inquiry among people in Posey, Gibson, and 

 Knox counties seems to show that it is a very rare bird there — one that 

 is not often seen, except by those fellows who are wont to prowl around 

 secluded ponds, and wade cypress swamps, looking for the unusual 

 among animate things." 



Mr. Fletcher M. Noe informs me that in the collection of the late 

 Dr. G. M. Levette, which came into his possession, were some skulls of 

 Wood Ibises labeled "Indiana," 1872. Mr. Noe has very kindly placed 

 in my collection a skull from the same source, which he assures me 

 was labeled "Indiana, 1874." Mr. E. J. Chansler informs me that Dr. 

 Smith, of Bicknell, spoke to him of a "Bald Ibis," which may have 



