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THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST. 57 
between eight and nine o’clock on each succeeding morn- 
ing. And the tiny chickens were hatched in eight days. 
The photograph exhibited shows the curious way in 
which the white-fronted Heron, Notophoyx Novae-hollan- 
diae, while holding its leg rigid, paddles rapidly with its 
toes to stir up insects. The bird shown is a tame one, 
which has lived in the garden for about fifteen months. 
Ii, seems to possess a keen sense of taste, and if given a 
piece of salt meat, or anything with grease or pepper or 
anything strongly flavoured on, it picks it up gingerly 
in its beak, and, carrying it to the water, washes it vigor- 
ously before eating. : 
OBSERVATIONS IN AMERICA. 
(Lantern Lecture Delivered 2nd June, 1914.) 
By W. M. Carne. 
By drawing a line from north to south through the 
centre, the United States may be roughly divided into an 
eastern humid area, with the remainder for the most part 
arid or semi-arid. Jn the N.H. the rainfall is distributed 
throughout the year, and the winters are cold. This re- 
gion is characterised by elms, pines, oaks, maples, etc. The 
climate of the S.H. is one of summer rainfall and tropi- 
cal or semi-tropical in character. The central prairie 
States, marked by a grass vegetation, particularly of 
Boutelona and the true Buffalo grass (Bulbilis dacty- 
loides), may be divided into a northern half with cold win- 
ters, and a more arid and warmer southern half. Of the 
arid States, Nevada and Utah form the sagebush (Arte- 
mesia) region, while Western Texas, New Mexico, and 
Arizona carry, especially in their less elevated parts, a 
peculiar vegetation of cacti, mesquite (Prosopis), and 
Greasewood (Sacrobatus), and Yuccas. California is in 
general arid with a flora of winter annuals, that being the 
season of rain and plant growth. The giant redwood 
characterises the moister and more elevated parts. Cot- 
tonwoods, oaks, and walnuts are common throughout the 
south-west, whilst species of conifers range the whole 
length of the Rocky Mountain area. 
In the N.W. is a humid region of big timber trees 
and rough country, with the Douglas Fir as the outstand- 
ing species. 
