34 Provincial Museum, 



North-west Coast Heron (Ardea herodius fannini, Chapman). 

 This bird, named after the late John Fannin by Frank M. Chap- 

 man, is quite a common species fonnd at Skidegate, Queen Charlotte 

 Islands, during the month of August. 



Egrette. ( Forester ) . 



Snowy Heron (Egrette candidissima, Gmel). 

 Rare in British Columbia. Two specimens collected at Burrard 

 Inlet. 



Order PALUDICOLAE. Cranes, Rails, Etc. 



Family GRUIDJE. Cranes. 

 Grus. (Pallas.) 



* Little Brown Crane (Grus canadensis, Linn). 



The Little Brown Crane, when proceeding from one favourite 

 resort to another or when migrating, flies high, and not infre- 

 quently their approach is heralded, before they are in sight, by 

 their incessant whooping clamour. While feeding they are gener- 

 ally silent. Such ponderous bodies, moving with slowly beating 

 wings, give a great idea of momentum from mere weight of force of 

 motion without swiftness, for they plod along heavily, seeming 

 to need every inch of their ample wings to sustain themselves. One 

 would think they must soon alight fatigued with such exertion, but 

 the raucous cries continue, and the birds fly on for miles, in Indian 

 file, under some trusty leader, who croaks his hoarse orders, implic- 

 itly obeyed. Each bird keeps his place in the ranks, the advancing 

 column now rises higher over some suspected spot, now falls along 

 an open sandy reach, swaying meanwhile to the right or left; as it 

 passes on the individual birds are blended in the hazy distance, till, 

 just before lost to view the line becomes like an immense serpent 

 gliding mysteriously through the air. It is common throughout the 

 Province during migrations. 



Sandhill Crane (Grus mexicana, Mull). 

 Common throughout the Province ; it breeds in the interior of the 

 Mainland. Numbers pass over Victoria in the spring and autumn 

 migration. 



