264 
IOWA ACADEMY OP SCIENCE Vol. XXIV, 1917 
in March, 1908. This bird was presented to me in 1913 and is 
now in the Marshalltown, Iowa, Public Library. 
25. *Botaurus lentiginosus. Bittern. A common breeding: 
species which usually selected the marshy hay lands for nesting 
sites. 
26. *Ixobryefous exilis. Least Bittern. Fairly common breed- 
ing species. 
27. Ardea herodias herodias. Great Blue Heron. A com- 
mon migrant, most abundant in July and August. 
28. Butorides virescens virescens. Green Heron. This heron 
bred commonly along the Little Sioux and could usually be 
found about any large pond with timber near it. 
29. Nycticorax nycticorax naevius. Black-crowned Night 
Heron. A common summer resident which was reported as 
nesting along the Little Sioux in scrub oak. From one to six 
birds appeared every evening at the farm near "Webb. This was 
about six miles from the nearest possible breeding place. I 
have never visited a colony in this territory but Paul C. Wood 
reported a colony at Spencer in June, 1895. (Iowa Ornithologist 
I, 2, 1895, p. 13.) 
30. Grits americana. Whooping Crane. On April 9, 1911, 
! saw five birds near Webb which were undoubtedly this species. 
These birds were standing near the edge o'f _a small pond and I 
was able to approach within 300 yards and examine them 
through the glasses. After- watching them for approximately 
half an hour I attempted to approach closer, but was unsuccess- 
ful as they immediately took wing and flew slowly off to the 
north. 
31. Grus mexicana. Sandhill Crane. This species was a 
fairly common migrant, flocks of from forty to fifty often being 
seen standing about in cornfields or drifting along in great 
spirals far overhead. 
32. *Rallus elegans. King Rail. A locally common breeching 
species. The writer has found nests in various swamps in eastern 
Clay in addition to those previously reported from the farm near 
Webb. The King Rail has the most startling voice of any of the 
breeding marsh birds. It may be described as a loud, abrupt, 
bnp-bup , repeated rapidly and explosively. My first ornitho- 
logical experience was with a king rail intent on keeping three 
youthful egg-collectors from appropriating her clutch. She flew 
