472 EGRETTA GARZETTA. 



and very slightly ascending, the sides sloping oufavards and 

 a little concave, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip acute. 

 The gape-line straight, commencing under the hind part of 

 the eye, at first somewhat sinuate. 



The nostrils are linear, four-twelfths of an inch long. 

 The eyes of moderate size. The feet are very long; the 

 tibia bare for half its length, and covered with large hexa- 

 gonal scales ; the tarsus long, compressed, rounded before 

 and behind, with eighteen large anterior scutella. The hind 

 toe is moderate, with ten scutella ; the second a little shorter 

 than the fourth, with eighteen ; the third with twenty-six ; 

 the fourth with twenty-four scutella, and connected with 

 the third by a basal web. The claws are rather long, 

 arched, compressed, acute; that of the middle toe serrate, 

 with twenty teeth. 



The plumage is very soft and blended. The feathers of 

 the occiput and nape elongated; three of them very long, 

 slender, tapering, compact, decurved or pendent ; the longest 

 measuring five inches. On the lower part of the neck ante- 

 riorly are numerous elongated, slender, tapering, compact 

 feathers ; the longest four inches and a half. From the fore 

 part of the back arise four series of very elongated feathers, 

 having their shafts very slender, straight, but toward the 

 end recurved ; and their filaments long, distant, and pendent. 

 The wings are long and broad, with the third quill longest, 

 but scarcely exceeding the first two ; one of the inner secon- 

 daries is only a quarter of an inch shorter than the longest 

 primary when the wing is closed. The tail is short, nearly 

 even, of twelve weak, rounded feathers, Part of the breast 

 covered with down only ; and the same patches of oily brittle 

 down as in the other species occur in this. 



The bill is black ; a small part of the base and the bare 

 space on each side of the head light green. The bare part 

 of the tibia, the upper half of the tarsus, and its anterior 

 scutella are black; the rest of the tarsus and the toes 

 greenish-yellow ; the claws black. The plumage is entirely 

 white. 



Length to end of tail 24 inches ; extent of wings 38 ; 

 wing from flexure lOf ; tail 3f ; bill along the ridge 3^, 



