No. 4.J REPORT OF STATE ORNITHOLOGIST. 191 



and a large crop of winter berries made conditions favorable 

 for the robins in New England and farther north. The 

 comparatively mild weather of the fall and early winter en- 

 couraged some bluel)irds to remain. A few usually winter 

 in Rhode Island and Connecticut, and reports from eastern 

 Massachusetts seem to indicate that some wintered here dur- 

 ing the season of 1910-11. There were still a few bluebirds 

 in the New England States up to Jan. 1, 1912, as they were 

 observed in the several localities in eastern Massachusetts 

 during the latter part of December. 



A Flight of Egrets in Massachusetts. 



One feature of the summer* of 1911 which attracted the 

 attention of very many people was a flight of egrets 

 {Herodias egretta) which remained here for parts at least 

 of two months. The American egret is the larger of the 

 white herons, the plumes of which have been sought by mil- 

 liners for many years. In North America the birds have 

 been almost exterminated by the plume hunters, and they are 

 disappearing in South America for the same reason. Similar 

 species are fast becoming extinct in India, China and other 

 countries from the same cause. 



White herons were reported in July from Plymouth and 

 Barnstable counties, and correspondents from nearly all the 

 eastern counties noted their appearance later. It has been 

 many years since more than a single bird has been seen and 

 recorded within the limits of Massachusetts. They were 

 first noted after the middle of July in Plymouth County and 

 later in Barnstable, Middlesex and Essex counties. Mr. 

 Edward R. Farrar saw one in Lincoln through the latter part 

 of July, and until the 18th of August. All the other cases 

 were reported from localities near the coast. Eastham, 

 Halifax, Plymouth, Wareham, Scituate, Marshfield, Ipswich 

 and Rowley were some of the towns in which the species was 

 reported. Mr. A. B. Fowler saw one first at Ipswich July 30. 

 August 8 another appeared, which disappeared on the 12th 

 and came back on the 14th. July 29 Mr. Robert O. Morris 

 saw one between Ipswich and Newburyport. Four were shot 



