6€2 Eepokt or Soiiate Geologist. 



SrsG-BNOS e-ARZETTA Katjp. 



*e8. (197). Arilea candidissima (Omel.). 



Snowy Heron. 



Adult.— In breeding eeason "witk a long occipital crest of deeojn- 

 posed featiierB and fiimilar dersal piuiBttes, Jatta- rscwm^ whea per- 

 fect; similaiT, but iu3± r^canred plumes on tiiE lowEi meek, which is 

 baxe behind; loiPfs, ^es and toee, yellow; bill and legS;, black, fonmer 

 yellow at base, latter yellow at lower part behind; piumage .always -en- 

 tirelj' white." (Mcllwraith, Birds ^ Ontario.) Smaller than the last. 

 Adult, after breeding seafioai, ajid immature without dorsal plumes. 



Length, g4.(M); wing, 11.00-12.00; bill, 3.O0; taasos, .3.50-4^00. 



EAifGE. — Temperate ajid tnopieal America, from Long IslaJid and 

 Oregon south to Argemtine E^ublie and Chili; casaally to Ifova 

 Scotia and southraai BritiBh CoLuiHibia. Minnesota. Eree^ north to 

 southern Indiajia. 



Nest, in trees and bushes, of sticks. Eggs, §-^; pale, diill blue; 1.82 

 by 1.23. 



Migrant and summer xosident in southean part af liie State; not 

 conrmon; breeding locally in the lower Wabash Valley. Mr. Eidgway 

 informs me of its breeding in Knox and Gibson counties. Mr. K J. 

 Chansler tells me of its oceurreneo at Swan amd Grassy ponds, Daviess 

 County, wheise he thinks it breeds. ProL J. A. BaLmer says lliou^h 

 they Taried in numbers from year to year, they were quite constajit 

 summer residMiitSin Kkax County in 1690. They were ecmimon about 

 Swan Pond. This, -so far as known, is its most northern breeding 

 ground. After breeding they roam over the cofunlxy, some extending 

 their joumeys, as may be gailiered from TCported 'Occurrences, into 

 Michigan, Ontario and Mamtoba. They are smaller bia?dfi than the 

 last species, but are ^exceedingly graeeM. Tlieir range is not so ex- 

 tensiTe and .their nuHibers are less with us. They have been noted in 

 Lake County (L. T. Meyer), Alien Couaty (C. A. Stockhridge), Eramk- 

 hn County (E. E. Quick), Jeffesrson County (Hubbard), amd lower 

 Wabash Valley (Stein). Some of these reeoirds may uefer to the lai^er 

 species la«t m/entioned. 



Like the Anaea-ican Eg-ret, thie Snowy Heron is guilty wf wearing 

 through the breeding season beautiful plumes. These are the orna- 

 ments technically called "aigrettes" by the millinery trade. To secure 

 them the death of the bird is necessary. This necessity has led to the 

 destruction of the larger part of the great numbers of these beautiful, 

 graceful birds, which were so characteristic an aspect of the southern 

 landscape a few years ago. These birds were not injurious; they were 



