ARDEA CxVNDIDISSIMA, LITTLE WHITE EGRET. 521 



another interpretation of La Fontaine's crowned rats. The gradation 

 in size among Herons calls up oue other point. Such species as the 

 Great Blue and the Great White are certainly to be considered of dig- 

 nified bearing, and their motions have something of grace and beauty as 

 well. But, though the Green, and the Least, and others have almost 

 exactly the t-ame form and the same attitudes and movements, they 

 would never be called dignitied or elegant birds. Analyzing this dilfer- 

 euce in the way the birds impress us, I cannot see that anything but 

 size is in question. This is the real secret ; the large Blue Heron is dig- 

 nified hj its size alone ; the little Green Heron, that copies every 

 posture and action of the other, oulj" succeeds in being grotesque, if not 

 actually ridiculous — the more so from the very fact of its imitation. 

 The parallel that may be drawn is a broad and long one. 



The White Egret is rather a delicate bird, preferring warm weather, 

 and consequently restricted in geographical distribution. In New En- 

 gland it is only a rare visitor, and is not known to breed. 1 may here 

 observe that a certain northward migration of some southerly birds at 

 this season is nowhere more noticeable than among the Herons and their 

 allies, the migrants consisting chiefly of birds hatched that year, which 

 unaccountably stray in what seems to us the wrong direction. Massa- 

 chusetts is the northernmost record of the species in New England. It 

 is rather decidedly a maritime bird, like its smaller relative {A)(lea 

 candidisfiinia), and seldom penetrates any distance inland except along 

 our largest rivers — the Mississippi, Eio Grande, and Colorado. 1 never 

 saw^ it in the interior of the Carolinas, along the coasts of which I found 

 it very abundant, and throughout the low, flat, marshy or swampy dis- 

 tricts. On the Pacific coast it is not recorded north of (California. I 

 met with it frequently in Southern California near the coast, and on 

 a few occasions on the Mojave River, not far from Soda Lake, perhaps 

 rather an .exceptional inland locality, as the desert environing on all 

 sides but oue must be a great barrier. The Arizonian birds are gathered 

 chiefly along the Colorado, particularly its lower portions. 



ARDEA CANDIDISSIMA, Gm. 



little White Egret; Snowy Heron. 



Ardeanirea, Jacq., Beitr. 1784.— Lath., Ind. Orn. ii, 1790, C9() {parlim).—I^icnT., Vcrz. 

 1823, No. 79.''). (Name preoccupied.) 



Egretta nirca, Cah. {nee auct.). (Up.) 



Anlea catididi-ssima, G.M., Syst. Nat. i. 1788, G33.— Wii.s., Am. Ori). vii, 1^13, l^O, pi. 62. 

 f. 4.— lU'., Obs. Wils. 182.'), No. 174; Syii. 1828, 30;'.— NliT., Man. ii, 1^34, 49.—, 

 AUD., Oiii. l!io^'. iii, 183.'), 317 ; v, 1839, fiOl! : pi. 242 ; Svii. 1839, 2(i7 ; 15. Am. vi, 

 1843, 103, pi. 374.— GiK., 15. L. 1, 1844, 283.— WooDii., Sit.gr. Rep. 1853, 97 (ludiau 

 Territory and Texas).— PuTN., Pr. Ess. Inst, i, 185(5, 218 (Ma.ssacbusetts, very 

 ranO.— Hi:ki;m., P. R. R. Rep. x, 1859, pt. vi, G3 (California).— 1'ki.z., Oni. I5r:is. 

 3(10 (resident).— COUKS, Key, 2G7.— 8cL. &. Salv., P. Z. S. 1873, 305 (E. I'eru). 



Egretta ra)nti(lis.vma, I5i'., List, 1838, 47.— (Jossk, 15. .Jam. 1847, 33(5. 



UcrodUiH ((iiKlidisnima, Ghav, Gen. of 15. iii, 1849.— Gindi.., .J. f. O. iv, 1856, 342. 



Garzctta cuudUlimnui, Ui'., Con.sp. Av. ii, 1K')5, 119.— lii>.. 15. N. A. 1~.')S, (it;5. — Cass., Pr. 

 Phila. Acad. 18110, 19(5 (Cartlia<;;ena, Darien)-— Wiikat., Oliio Agrie. Reii. l-dO, 

 No. 1K5 (very rare).— CorKS & Puknt., Smitli.s. Rep. 18G1, 415 (not uncom- 

 mon).— Ai.i.KX, Pr. Ess. Inst, iv, 1H(!4, 8(5 (Massaeliu.sctts, accidental).— Cori:.s, 

 ihUl. V, 18fi8, 290.— Dhk.ss., Ibis, ISGC), 31 (Texas).- Sci.. & Sai.v., P. Z. 8. l.-GG, 

 199 (EaPteru Peru).— C«>i r.s, Pr. I'liila. .\ca(l. ISGC, 95 (Colorado KMv.r, abun- 

 dant) ; 1871. 31 (North Carolina).— Cori'.s, Pr. Post. Soe. xii, 1>^GS, 123 (South 

 Carolina).— Lawk., Ann. Lye. N. Y. viii, IHGG, 292 (New York); ix, IHG8. 142 

 (Costa Rica); 210 (Yucatan).— .Ionics, Tr. Nova Scotia Inst, ii, IHGs, 72 (Nova 

 Scotia).— Ai.i.KN. Am. Nat. iii, 1^70, (!:57 (Massachu.setts) ; Hull. M. C. Z. ii, 1871, 

 35G (Florida).— TcHXU., 15. K. Pa. lS(i<j, 07 („„(; iiiieonimon).—MAY.\., Guide, 

 1870, 143 (MassachusottB).— Snow, 15. Kans. 1873, 9.— Riugw., Auu. Lye. N. Y. 

 X, 1874, 38G (Illinois). 



