ARDEID.E — THE HERONS — ARDEA. 15 



(sometimes suffused with rufous). TibiaB very pale rufous, sometimes almost white ; crissuui 

 white. Upper mandible black, paler, or horn-color, along the tomium ; lower, pale pea-green, 

 deepening into clear horn-yellow on ternuiial half; eyelids and Iiorizontal space on lore light 

 apple-green ; iris gamboge-yellow ; tibiaj and soles of toes, apple-green ; rest of legs and feet 

 black.i 



Wing, 17.90-20.00 ; tail, 7.30-S.OO ; culmen, 4.30-6.00 ; depth of bill, through middle of 

 nostril, 0.85-1.10 ; naked portion of tibia, 3.50-5.00 ; tarsus, 0.00-8.00 ; middle toe, 3.50-4.50. 

 [E.xtremes of 17 adult specimens.] 



Geo«raphical and Individual Variations. So far as is indicated by the rather scant 

 material before me (17 adult specimens), there is little, if any, variation in proportions or colors 

 which can be considered strictly geographical. Especiallj' is this so with regard to dimensions and 

 relative measurements of different parts in an individual, — a fact which is clearly shown by the 

 carefully-made measurements of the whole series. The typical style, indeed, prevails with such 

 uniformity, that of seventeen specimens only four difl'er in any noteworthy respect from the average 

 style. These " aberrant" examples are the following : — 



No. 68300, from Florida, is decidedly the largest in the whole series, its general size almost 

 equalling that of A. occidentalis. The bill also approaches quite nearly to that of the latter species, 

 both in size and form. In colcM's, however, it is true herodias, so far as essential characters are 

 concerned, the head-pattern l)eing exactly as in typical specimens of that species ; tlie abdomen 

 witli black largtdy prevailing, etc. The only obvious difference from ordinary specimens of the 

 species consists in tlie peculi.ir plumage of the neck, which at first sight appears to be white 

 throughout. A close exauiination, liowever, reveals the iiict that the feathers are very mucli 

 worn or abraded, and that wherever they are least so a lavender-gray tinge is distinctly visible ! 

 Now, if we examine closely the neck plumage of typical A. herodias, we find that it is only the 

 surface which has this lavender-graj'^ color, the concealed portion of tlie feathers being ivhitish ; so 

 that the white appearance of the neck in this specimen is thus readily accounted for. As probably 

 indicating a tendency to albinism, it may lie remarked that there are in this specimen many pure 

 white feathers mixed through the rump and upper tail-coverts.^ 



The most important specimen of all, since its peculiarities are real, and not merely apparent, 

 is No. 8065, from Mexico, also an adult. This example represents the opposite extreme in size 

 from that just noticed, being much the smallest in the whole series. As to plumage, it is typical 

 A. herodias. The shades of color are very deep and dark tliroughout, however, though not more 

 so than 4524, from Cape Flattery, W. T., which almost exactly resembles it in this respect. The 

 neck of this specimen is of precisely the same shade as that of ^. occidentalis (" JFiirdemanni"). 

 The chief peculiarity of this specimen is that the bill is throughout of a clear bright yellow, 

 Avhereas in true herodias only part of the lower mandible is of this color, the upper being mainly 

 dusky. Should this latter character, taken together with the very small size, prove constant in 

 Mexican adult specimens, they may rank as a geographical race, for which the term ^^Ardea Lessoni," 

 BoNAP., would probably have to be employed. 



The Cape Flattery specimen alluded to above agrees exactly with the Mexican specimen as to 

 colors, but its proportions are very peculiar. Thus, while the wing is above the average lengtli 

 and the tail up to the maximum, the bill is considerably below the average, being smallest of all 

 except that of the Mexican specimen ; the tibia and tarsus represent the minimum length, while 

 the middle toe is shorter than that of any other in the entire series ! 



The only other specimen in the collection worth mentioning in this connection is No. 33134, 

 Cape Saint Lucas. This specimen, also an adult, is remarkable simply on account of its very light 

 colors. There is an unusual predominance of white on the breast and jugulum, and the colors 

 generally (excepting, of course, the black) are two or three shades lighter than in the average. Its 

 measurements come near the maximum. In these peculiarities, however, we see only the result 

 of an extremely dry and hot climate, the bleaching effect of which is plainly visible in all the 

 birds of brown or grayish plumage in that region of continued droughts, which embraces, besides 



* Notes taken from fresh specimen [No. 84, 578, Nat. Mus., $ juv., Mount Carmel, Illinois, Sept. 

 26, 1870. Length, 42.00 ; expanse, 68.50]. 



- Since the above was written, a re-examination of the specimen proves it to be A. IVardil The first 

 inspection was made several years previous to the discovery of the latter species. 



