ARDEID.E — THE HERONS — GARZETTA. 



29 



toe, 2.20-3.20; bare portion of tibia, 1.70-2.75; weight, about 10-14 ounces. Color entirely 

 pure white, at all ages and seasons. Bill black, the basal portion of the lower mandible (some- 

 times one-half) yellow, or light colored ; lores, iris, and eyelids, yellow ; tibiae and tarsi black, 

 the lower posterior portion of the latter, with the toes, yellow ; claws blackish. 



Nuptial plumes slender shafted and loose fibred, those of the back reaching to or slightly 

 beyond the end of the tail, and, normaUy, recurved terminally ; those of the occiput some- 

 times exceeding the bill in length ; those of the jugulum slightly less developed. In the young 

 these are all absent, except on the occiput, where they are but slightly developed ; in the 

 adults the occipital plumes appear to be permanent, the others assumed only during the breed- 



In this extensively distributed species there is a wide range of variation in size, and, to a less 

 extent, in proportions ; specimens from the Pacific coast of California and Mexico averaging con- 

 siderably larger than those from the eastern United States, while those from northeastern South 

 America are still smaller than the latter. There is not a sufficient amount of material avail- 

 able to determine whether this variation is strictly geographical, or whether other differences 

 constantly accompany these variations. It seems to be a general rule among the bii'ds of this 

 family to vary in the same way, however. 



As a rule, specimens from Lower California average a little larger, and those from Demerara 

 considerably smaller, than examples from other localities. Examples from Chili are intermediate 

 in size between Demerara sj^ecimens and others from the eastern United States. In the full dress, 

 the bill is deep black, with the extreme base and the lores j'eUow ; the tarsus deep black, the 

 toes yellowish (bright yellow or orange in life), in more or less marked contrast. Winter speci- 

 mens, however, even if possessing the plumes, ha\'e more or less of the basal portion of the lower 

 mandible yellow, but are not otherwise obviously different. Among individuals, even from the 

 same locality, there is a great range of variation in size and proportions ; there is also a con- 

 siderable individual variation in the color of the feet, the yellow being as a rule confined to 

 the toes, but sometimes occupying a greater or less extent of the lower part of the tarsus. 



Between specimens of the same stage from the eastern United States, the West Indies, Lower 

 California, Demerara, Chili, and Brazil, we can detect no differences other than those of an indi- 

 vidual nature except the very slight geographical one of size, alluded to above.^ 



The Snowy Egret is one of the most abundant, as well as one of the most widely 

 distributed, of its family. It is found on botli the Pacific and the Atlantic coasts, 

 wandering on both shores several hundred miles farther north than it is known to 

 breed. On the Atlantic a few are sui:)posed to be summer residents as far north 

 as Long Island. From thence southward it is found along the entire Gulf coast, 

 and the shores of both oceans, throughout a very large extent of South America, 



1 Since the above was written we have noticed very nearly the extremes of size in a series of these 

 birds from Florida, collected at the same place and at the same time. 



