84 



it breeds over all of the Mississippi Valley and remains close to the 

 Gulf coast in winter. It migrates later, and did not appear in the mid- 

 dle districts until late in April. At Danville, 111., one was seen April 

 21 5 at Saint Louis, Mo., and Des Moines, Iowa, it was noted April 

 26; at Manhattan, Kans., April 29; and by May 1 it had arrived over 

 all of Illinois and Iowa, and had come to Lanesboro, Minn. At Alda, 

 Nebr., it was seen May 3. 



In the fall of 1884 the bulk departed from Des Moines, Iowa, August 

 26, and none were seen afterwards. 



In the spring of 1885 the records of the arrival of this species were 

 very irregular. It was recorded from Saint Louis, Mo., April 28, and 

 Lanesboro, Minn., April 23, with much later dates scattered over the 

 intervening country. In the fall of 1885 the last was seen at Grinnell, 

 Iowa, September 28, and at Saint Louis, Mo., September 14. The first 

 was seen at Emporia, Kans., October 3. 



202. Nycticorax nycticorax nasvius (Bodd.). [495. ] BJaclc-crowncd Xight Heron. 

 The common Night Heron breeds throughout the Mississippi Valley, 



and winters both on the Gulf coast and south of it. In mild winters a 

 few have sometimes been seen in southern Illiuois. In the spring of 

 1884 the first record came from Eodney, Miss., March 22, when they 

 were heard squawking at night as they passed over the city. On April 

 5 they appeared at Laporte City, Iowa, and two clays later came to 

 Heron Lake, Minn., which is the summer home of great numbers. They 

 also breed abundantly in a large marsh in east-central Wisconsin. Col- 

 onel Goss says they are rare in Kansas. 



In the spring of 1885 the records of the Black-crowned Night Heron 

 were very irregular, as was the case with all the other Herons. Prob- 

 ably the species is better known at Heron Lake, Minn., than at any 

 other station ; it arrived there April 12, and fifty were seen April 17. 

 All the rest of the notes came from places south of Heron Lake, and 

 were of later date, except one from Gainesville, Tex., April 10. The 

 last was seen at Saint Louis, Mo., April 22. 



In the fall of 1885 the last was seen at Grinnell, Iowa, September 28 ; 

 none were reported from Eichmond, Kans., after October 15, but the 

 last did not leave Heron Lake, Minn., until November 14. 



203. Nycticorax violaceus (Linn.). [496.] Yellow-crowned Xiglit Heron. 



The present species is more southern than the last, finding its north- 

 ern limit in Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, and southern Indiana. 



Four days after the Black-crowned Night Heron flew over Rodney, 

 Miss., in the spring of 1884, it was followed by the Yellow-crowned 

 (March 26), 



204. Grus americana (Linn.). [582.] Wlwoping Crane. 



Nests along our northern border, and also in central Illinois ; winters 

 along the Gulf coast and as far north as the central part of Texas, 



