84 Birds of Colorado 



11th, and incubation was somewhat advanced. They 

 are oval in shape, pale greenish-blue in colour and 

 measure 2*60 x 1'80 



Heronries are occasionally entirely broken up by a 

 severe hailstorm. Such a disaster occurred to a colony 

 near Lyons in Boulder co., in July 1907 ; the ground 

 under the trees was covered with dead birds. 



Genus HERODIAS. 



Closely resembling Ardea, but smaller, wing 16 — 17 ; plmnage 

 white throughout, with a train of decomposed scapulars developed in 

 the breeding season ; no occipital crest. 



One species only in North America. 



American Egret. Herodias egretta. 



A.O.U. Checklist no 196 — Colorado Records— Aiken 00, p. 298 ; 

 Cooke 97, p. 197. 



Description. — Adult — Plumage entirely white ; a train of long, decom- 

 posed plumes from the scapulars extending ten to twelve inches 

 beyond the tail when fully developed ; no lengthened feathers on the 

 head and neck ; iris and bill yellow, legs black. Length 39-5 ; wing 

 14-75 ; tail 6-25 ; culmen 4-5 ; tarsus 6-5. 



The female is slightly smaller — wing 14. After the breeding season 

 the long plumes are lost. Young birds have a black bill and no long 

 plumes. 



Distribution. — The southern United States and the Pacific slope 

 from Oregon south to Patagonia and the West Indies ; a straggler 

 north as far as Nova Scotia and Manitoba. 



The only notice of this species in Colorado is that of Aiken, who 

 states : " On May 12th, 1900, Mr. A. Gruber and Mr. F. Cikanck, 

 taxidermists in my employ, reported seeing a single bird in a tall cotton - 

 wood tree five miles south of Colorado Springs. As they are familiar 

 with this species as well as with the more common Snowy Heron, there 

 appears no reason to doubt their identification." Hersey informs me 

 he has one in his collection, taken at Barr in June, 1905. 



Genus EGRETTA. 



ResembUng Herodias, but smaller, wing 9-5 — 11-5 ; plumage white 

 with an occipital crest, and the dorsal train of decomposed feathers 

 slightly recurved at the tips. 



Only one North American species. 



