130 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



ican species) soft, broad, and not lengthened ; color always 

 wholly pure white. (Subgenus Herodias Boie.) 

 Length 37.00-41.00, wing 14.10-16.80, culmen 4.20-4.90, tar- 

 sus 5.50-6.80. Eggs 2.28 X 1-60. Hab. Nearly the whole 

 of America, north (casually at least) to British Provinces 

 and Oregon, south to Chili and Patagonia. 



196. A. egretta Gtmel. American Egret. 

 c\ Wing less than 11.00. 



d}. Adult with occipital, jugular, and scapular plumes greatly devel- 

 oped, with much decomposed webs; the scapular plumes ex- 

 tending to or beyond the tail and recurved at tips ; color 

 always entirely pure white. (Subgenus Garzetta Kaup.) 



Length 20.00-27.25, wing 8.20-10.50, culmen 2.08-3.65, tarsus 

 3.15-4.50. Eggs 1.68 X 1-34. Hah. Whole of tropical and 

 warm-temperate America, north (more or less regularly) 

 nearly across United States, and south to Chili and Argen- 

 tine Eepublic. 197. A. candidissima Gmel. Snowy Heron. 

 d^. Adult with scapular and jugular plumes elongated, narrowly lan- 

 ceolate, compact-webbed ; occipital plumes slender, only a few 

 of them much elongated ; color varying from uniform dark 

 slate-blue, with maroon-colored head and neck, to wholly pure 

 white. (Subgenus Florida Baird.) 



Adult usually uniform dark slate-blue, with maroon-colored 

 head and neck, but not unfrequently " pied" with white, 

 or even almost wholly white, with bluish tips to longer 

 quills. Young usually pure white, with longer quills 

 tipped with slate-blue. Length 20.00-29.50, wing 9.00- 

 10.60, culmen 2.70-3.30, tarsus 3.15-4.00. Eggs 1.73 X 1-28. 

 Sab. Whole of tropical and warm-temperate North Amer- 

 ica (except western United States), north to Massachusetts, 

 Illinois, Kansas, etc., south to Colombia and Guiana and 

 throughout West Indies. 



200. A. caerulea Linn. Little Blue Heron. 

 b^. Tarsus twice as long as middle toe, without claw. 



idult with feathers of entire neck (excepting throat and vipper fore- 

 neck) elongated and narrowly lanceolate, most lengthened on occi- 

 put and lower fore-neck ; scapular plumes much lengthened (ex- 

 tending beyond end of tail), with shafts straight and stiffened, the 

 webs decomposed, but with the hair-like fibrillae rather close to- 

 gether; color uniform, or else irregularly patched with white and 

 slaty. (Subgenus Dichrorrmnassa Eidgway.) 

 c\ Adult plain slate-color, the head and neck cinnamon- or vinaceous-rufous. 

 Yoimg plain grayish, tinged here and there with rusty. Length 

 27.00-32.00, wing 11.90-13.60, culmen 3.30-4.00, tarsus 4.90-5.75. 

 Eggs 1.97 X 1-46. Hab. Warmer portions of eastern United States, 



