YELLOW-BILLED WHITE EGRET. 467 



ing a little beyond the tail, and fourteen inches in length. 

 The wings are long, broad, and rounded ; the first quill 

 three-twelfths of an inch shorter than the second, which 

 exceeds the third by one-twelfth. The tail is short, even, 

 of twelve broad, rounded, rather weak feathers. 



The bill is yellow, the tip slightly dusky. The bare space 

 on each side of the head verdigris green. The feet are black. 

 The plumage is white, with a faint yellowish tinge. 



Length to end of tail 40 inches ; head and bill 8 ; ridge 

 of upper mandible 4-^ ; gape-line 5^-f ; height of bill -Li, its 

 breadth -^ '> wing from flexure 16 ; tail 6% ; bare part of 

 tibia 3^- ; tarsus 6^ ; first toe 1^, its claw ^k > second toe 

 %Y2, its claw -^ ; third toe 3^, its claw -j% ; fourth toe 2|^-, 

 its claw -j^-. 



The above description is from a preserved specimen. Com- 

 pared with Ardea nigrirostris, it has the bill a little higher 

 at the base, the wing shorter, the tail even instead of being 

 rounded, the legs much shorter, as are the toes ; but other- 

 wise there is no perceptible difference, excepting the colour 

 of the bill. The two individuals are adult, with the dorsal 

 plumes in the same state. 



Remarks. — The only detailed description of a White 

 Heron killed in Britain that has hitherto been given is that 

 of Egretta nigrirostris presented in this work. I have else- 

 where remarked, and have now no reason to retract it, that 

 " were the description of authors so detailed as those in my 

 History of British Birds, one might easily refer to its species 

 any individual bird that he might obtain ; but this is by no 

 means the case, insomuch that even the most recent works, 

 namely, those of Mr. Gould and Mr. Yarrell, contain de- 

 scriptions and figures of the Great White Egret so imperfect 

 as to be useless for comparison with very nearly allied species. 

 That bird has the shaft of the dorsal plumes straight ; and 

 yet they are represented in both works as arcuate or 

 decurved, but in Mr. Gould's with the tip a little recurvate. 

 The bill in both works is bounded by right lines, which is 

 not the case in any Egret known to me. The descriptions 

 are, I regret being obliged to say it, good for nothing." 



