THE BIRDS OF FLOYD COUNTY, IOWA. 197 
36. Ixobrychus exilis (Gmel.) Least Bittern. A tolerably 
common migrant and summer resident, but less so that the 
preceding species. Nests regularly within the Catt and 
probably within the limits of Charles City. 
37. Ardea herodias herodias (Linn.) | Great Blue Heron. 
A rather uncommon summer resident, though it seems to be 
increasing in numbers. They arrive in early April, and are 
most commonly seen along the river near Floyd. 
38. Egretta candidissima candidissima (Gmel.) Snowy 
Egret. Casual visitor. “Has been taken at Des Moines and 
in Floyd County in August.” (Keyes and Williams, Proc. 
Dav. Acad, Nat, Sci., V, p. 120. . 
39. Butorides virescens virescens (Linn.) Little Green 
Heron. Common migrant and summer resident. Arrives 
about the last week of March or the first of April, or later. 
40. Nycticorax nycticorax naevius (Botd.) Black-crowned 
Night Heron. Tolerably common migrant; perhaps a summer 
resident. Webster found it nesting near Floyd in 1897, and 
in the west part of the county for four years later. It is 
reported as nesting near Nora Springs in 1913. The species, 
in common with the Great Blue Heron seems to have in- 
creased since 1915. 
41. Grus americana (Linn.) Whooping Crane. At one 
time a rather rare migrant (Webster) ; now probably but a 
memory in the county’s avifauna. The Miles collection con- 
tains one specimen, without date. So far as I know, there is 
no record of the species nesting within the county, although 
Cooke states that it had been known to nest at Clear Lake. 
(Bd. Migr. Miss. Valley, p. 85). 
42. Grus mexicana (Miill.) Sandhill Crane. Webster, 
Waller, and others, state that this species.once occurred in 
large flocks during the migrating seasons. At present it is, 
at best, a very rare migrant. I have no definite records. 
43. Rallus elegans (Aud.) King Rail. An uncommon 
species during migrations, and a rare summer resident. It 
arrives in late April; on April 24, 1916, I saw a specimen well 
