658 Report of State Qkologist. 



It is reported breeding iu Steuben County by Mr. J. 0. Snyder, and 

 at Golden liiike, that county, by Mr. J. P. Feagler and Mr. H. W. Mc- 

 Bride. Mr. McBride says tlia.t this heronry is known as "Crane- 

 town." 'Phe place is an almost inaccessible bayou, covered for the 

 most part by very large elm trees. In these trees every year- breed 

 great numbers of Great Blue Herons. 



Trof. B. W. Evernuuin records two large heronries and one small 

 one in Carroll County. He found as many as thirteen nests on one 

 tree, and many other trees contained from thit;\> to ten nests each. 

 (The Auk, October, 1888, p. 347.) 



Mr. E. U. Qnick says there wa^? a hejonry about ton miles souih of 

 Franlvfori, in Clinton County. 



They have also been reported to have bred in the following counties: 

 Vigo (Evernumu), Alien (Stockridge), Dekalb (McBride, Mrs. Hine), 

 Clinton (tihere), Tippecanoe, at mouth of Tippecanoe Hiver (Dr. E. 

 Test). Almost all of these friends have testiiied to the effects of many 

 destructive influences resulting from man's eiforts to reclaim the land 

 for tillage or from wtmtouness in times when he gave himself to sport 

 or i-ecreation. Swamps have been drained, tires felled, tire ravaged the 

 lieronrie*;,thebirds have btH?n shot or driven away and tJ\e eggs permit- 

 ted to spoil or the young perish. A number of colonies have been exter- 

 minated. All are year by year growing less. The people who live 

 near the remaining heronies slu>uld protect the birds that are left. 

 They do them no ill, but only good. 



After the birds are reared they, to a greater or loss extent, wan- 

 der about the State. 'I'hey arrive so early tuid nest so soon after arrival 

 that when they appear many (hiuk they ai-e late migrants or possibly 

 summer residents. In the southoru part of the State they occasionally 

 pass the winter. The earliest migrant was noted by Prof. Evormann 

 in Carroll County, February 14, 1885; Dekalb County, February 22, 

 18t)0 (H. W. McBride); March 11, 18^4, U\: Deane found one in 

 "Crane Heaven," English LaJ^e. This is tiie earliest date at a heronry. 

 They usually appear at the heronries in March, the bulk arriving 

 before April 15. Throughout the State they are found straggling 

 along through April and occasionally until late in May; Kichmond 

 May *^1, 18i)7 (Hadley). These straggloxs must breed much later 

 than the others, if at all. ^Ir. R. B. IVouslot reports taking tAvo sets 

 of eggs before April 25. 1887, and Mr. Deane reports young in some of 

 the nests at Rnglu^h l.ake. May 4. 18<H\ 



They b^gin their fall migrations in August and continue passing 

 thro\igh September and October, a few remaining sometimes late into 

 Novon\ber. I obsorvod thorn at Brookvillo August ;>0 (1887). Mr. 



