REPORT OF STATE GEOLOGIST. 



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

 at Golden Lake,, that county, by Mr. J. P. Feagler and Mr. H. W. Mcr 

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

 town." The 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. 



Prof. B. W. Evermann 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 three to ten nests each. 

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



Mr. E. R. Quick says there was a heronry about ten miles south of 

 Frankfort, in Clinton County. 



They have also-been reported to have bred in the following counties; 

 Yigo (Evermann), Allen (Stockridge), Dekalb (McBride, Mrs. Hine), 

 Clinton (Ghere), Tippecanoe, at mouth of Tippecanoe River (Dr. E. 

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

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

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

 or recreation. Swamps have been drained, trees felled, fire ravaged the 

 heronries, thebirds have been shot or driven away and the 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 should protect the birds that are left. 

 They do them no ill, but only good. 



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

 der about the State. They arrive so early and nest so soon after arrival 

 that when they appear many think they are late migrants or possibly 

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

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

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

 1890 (H. W. McBride); March 11, 1894, Mr. Deane found one in 

 "Crane Heaven/' English Lake. This is the earliest date at a heronry. 

 They usually appear 1 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; Richmond 

 May 21, 1897 (Hadley). These stragglers must breed much later 

 than the others, if at all. Mr. R. B. Trouslot 1 reports taking two sets 

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

 the nests at English Lake, , May "4, 1890. 



They begin their fall migrations in August and continue passing 

 through September: and October, .a ,few r remaining sometimes late into 

 November. I observed them at Brookville August 30 (1887). Mr. 



