BIEBS OF KAXSAS. 123 



Their nests are usually made of sticks and slightly lined with 



grasses. Eggs two to four; pale bluish green; in form, oval to 



elliptical oval. The dimensions of two sets of eggs, of four 



each, collected April 5th, 1881, on a small island in Nueces Bay, 



Texas, are as follows: 2.30x1.60, 2.12x1.58, 2.20x1.68, 2.24x 



1.70; and 2.29x1.61, 2.30x1.70, 2.34x1.70, 2.34x1.68. The 



nests were upon the ground, and partially hidden by straggling 



weeds and grass. Other Herons, also Terns, were nesting upon ' 



the island. 



Subgenus GARZETTA Kaup. 



"Adult with occipital, jugular and scapular plumes greatly developed, with 

 much decomposed webs, the scapular plumes extending to or beyond the tail and 

 recurved tips; color always entirely pure white." 



Ardea candidissima Gmel. 



SNOWY HERON. 

 PLATE IX. 



Summer visitant; not uncommon. Arrive from the south in 

 July and August; return in September. 



B. 485. R. 490. C. 659. G. 220, 55. TJ. 197. 



Habitat. The whole of temperate and tropical America, 

 from the northern United States to Chili; West Indies. A 

 summer or autumnal visitant at the northern and southern ex- 

 tremes of its range. 



Sp. Char. "Color entirely pure white at all ages and seasons. Bill black, 

 the basal portion of the lower mandible (sometimes one-half) yellow or light 

 colored; lores, iris and eyelids yellow; tibise and tarsi black, the lower posterior 

 portion of the latter, with the toes, yellow; claws blackish. Nuptial plumes 

 slender, shafted, and loose fibered, those of the back reaching to or slightly be- 

 yond the end of the tail, and, normally, recurved terminally; those of the occiput 

 sometimes exceeding the bill in length; those of the jugulum slightly less de- 

 veloped. In the young tliese are all absent, except on the occiput, where they 

 are but slightly developed; in the adults the occipital plumes appear to be per- 

 manent, the others assumed only during the breeding season." 



This beautiful diurnal species is quite social, and can be seen 

 at all seasons of the year in flocks, that scatter more or less 



