HERONS. 



25 



st^t^Sr* of the young sounded uke ^ ^^ 



fJ^lST 1 / thi T her ° n C T istS cMefly 0f fell > with * e ad *tion of 

 Mr! ' i r ls ',r a f u eS ' me [: d0W Dlice ' y° un S rate > crustaceans, small 

 partL rh 7 f e SmaUel - ^^-inhabiting species, and insects, 

 particularly grasshoppers and aquatic beetles. 



American Egret. Herodias egretta. 

 The large white egret, formerly an abundant breeding species in 

 the swamps of Arkansas and other States in the Mississippi Val ley, 



£ plumes T f*™"*" 1 ^ the ***** «Sumd for 

 n the ^ptfc n? 7 T arS T a lar S e coI °^ of ^ese birds nested 

 m the Peck Cypress" near Armorel. In May, 1910, in the Walker 

 Lake rookery m the same county, I saw only three or four pa rs 

 and m June of the same year Mr. B. Widmann found 3 nests there 

 and saw only 3 adult birds. One of the nests contained 1 eg? 



siS" I?? 7 - &ed t dy °™Z> Md °* the *M a » adult bird wS 

 sitting. Extensive shooting of this species for its plumes has ceased 

 became there are not enough birds left to make the business pTofitaUe 

 But to assure the safety of the remnant will necessitate the strict 

 enforcement of the law protecting all nongame birds. 



Snowy Egret. Egretta candidissima. 

 Like the other white herons, this exquisite little egret although 

 once abundant, has been practically exterminated by persltlt 

 hunting for its plumes. It formerly nested in the MsZ™ 

 Valley States as far north as southern Illinois, but in rece" y ar 

 has been driven out from all but the more inaccessible ^arts of 



a™8S9 aV 886 * ™" "^ ™ ***** at Osceola^rii 3 

 1902 ObJLlJ Wer6 / een 1 at Cliaton J«ly 4- In June and Julv 

 1902, Ooeiholser saw a few along Red River north of Texarkana. 



[Louisiana Heron. Sydranassa tricolor ruficollis 



River north ot Te^anX* ^be holser reported the species common along Red 

 lexaiaana (lex.) m June and July, 1902.] 



Little Blue Heron. Florida aemlea. 



herfeTr^? 60 ^ iS n0t a plume P roducer > Jt ^s held its own 



L :l r k irt r d is fi c ° mmon in the ~p s * «s 



™* t ! ,_ formerly bred as far north as Missouri and 



Te^:i!ziz\oT ow r: UUy does not °° cur in «£££* 



Tmtu southern Arkansas - At Wilmot the last week in 



June it was very common and doubtless breeds in the bi. Twamns 



^ press, Ashley County, but the colony deserted that location some 



