FAM. XLV. HERONS, EG BETS, ETC. 



267 



the back (in the breeding season) reaching beyond the tail. 

 To get these plumes, which are at present fashionable for 

 ladies' hats, this species and the next must be shot in the 

 breeding season ; so a few years of this " fashion " have made 

 these most graceful and dainty birds very rare, and a few 

 years more of the slaughter will render them extinct. Some 

 women wearing such plumes try to exonerate themselves from 

 blame on the plea that the birds are killed Avithout their ap- 

 proval, but that being dead no harm can be done by purchasing 

 and using their feathers. They are forgetful of the fact that 

 every use of such a plume continues the fashion, increases the 

 demand, and leads to the further killing of birds in constantly 

 increasing numbers. Hence all who wear the plumes are 

 directly responsible for the slaughter of the birds. 



Length, 40 ; wing, 15 (14-17); tail, 6 ; tarsus, 6 ; culmen, 4^5. Tem- 

 perate and tropical America; breeding north to Illinois and New Jersey, 

 straying to New Brunswick and Mani- 

 toba, and wintering from Florida to 

 Patagonia. 



8. Snowy Heron (197. Ardea 

 candidlssima). — A small, beauti- 

 ful, crested, pure white heron, 

 with about fifty recurved, "ai- 

 grette " plumes on the back dur- 

 ing the breeding season. The 

 bill and legs are black, and the 

 lores and feet yellow. Becom- 

 ing exceedingly rare, because 

 killed, like No. 7, in the breed- 

 ing season. (Snowy Egret.) 



Length, 20-27 ; wing, 9| (8^10|) ; 

 tail, 4 ; tarsus, 3f ; culmen, 2-3^. 

 Temperate and tropical America ; Snowy Heron 



breeding north to Long Island, and 



wintering from Florida south to central South America, casually north 

 to Nova Scotia and British Columbia. 



