38 BULLETIN 186, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM 



EGRETTA GARZETTA GARZETTA (Linnaeus) 



Indian Little Egret 



[Ardea] Garzetta Linnaeus, Systenia naturae, ed. 12, vol. 1, 1766, p. 237 ("in 



Oriente," ex Brisson). 

 Egretta garzetta garzetta, Deignan, Journ. Siam Soc. Nat. Hist. Suppl., 1931, p. 



173 (Chiang Mai) ; 1936, p. 73 (Chiang Mai). 



This is a common bird at Chiang Mai and probably is equally so 

 in other districts. The only specimen known from the North is a 

 female in nuptial plumage collected by me at Chiang Mai, May 24, 

 1935. The ovaries were not enlarged. 



Like the large egret, this species becomes rare or absent during the 

 season of drought and returns in great numbers during the rains. It 

 is then generally distributed over the countryside, occurring not only 

 on the marshes but also in the ricefields and even along the irrigation 

 canals beside the highways. 



My specimen had the irides yellow; the eyelids yellowish green, 

 edged bright yellow ; the lores yellowish green ; the bill black, with the 

 basal half of the mandible plumbeous-white ; the feet black ; the toes 

 greenish yellow ; the soles yellow ; the claws yellowish horn. 



The little egret, in nuptial livery, wears a white crest, breast plumes, 

 and dorsal plumes extending beyond the tail, all of which are lost after 

 the breeding season. It is the smallest of the pure white herons and 

 is easily recognized by its blackish bill and its greenish-yellow toes 

 (which are conspicuous when it takes to flight). 



EGRETTA INTERMEDIA INTERMEDIA (Wagler) 



Indian Intermediate Egret 



A[rdea] intermedia Wagler, Isis, 1829, p. 659 (Java). 



Egretta intermedia intermedia, de Schauensee, Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philadel- 

 phia, 1929, p. 587 (Chiang Saen). 



Mesophoyx intermedia intermedia, Deignan, Journ. Siam Soc. Nat. Hist. Suppl., 

 1936, p. 73 (Chiang Mai). 



The intermediate egret may be common throughout our area, but 

 there are few definite records. De Schauensee took a specimen at 

 Chiang Saen, January 10, 1929; I collected a male at Chiang Mai, 

 October 17, 1931, and another male, in full nuptial plumage, at Chiang 

 Rai, January 27, 1937. 



The Chiang Mai specimen had the irides light yellow ; the orbital 

 region and lores bright yellow; the bill yellow, with maxilla tipped 

 horny brown ; the feet, toes, and claws black. 



This species, in nuptial dress, wears ornamental plumes upon the 

 upper breast, as well as long dorsal plumes. In the nonbreeding 

 season the aigrettes are lost, and it becomes indistinguishable in life 

 from the large egret. 



