BIRDS — ARDEIDAE — ARDEA. 



GG7 



HERODIAS EGRETTA, var. CALIFOllNICA, Bui id. 



Ch. — Pure wliito. Larger tlian //. egretla. Loiigtli, 43 iiiclios ; wing, 17 ; tarsus, C."0 ; l>ill, 5. 

 Uab. — Coast of soullierii Ciiliroriiia, aiiU pcrlmps tlio Rio Graiidu of Texas. 



This birti is very similar to Herodias egretta, but is considerably larger ; the tibiae are bare for 

 half their length. The feathers of the hack are not fully grown out, so that I can make no 

 comparison in this respect, hut the scapulars are more elongated and plume-like than in tlie 

 other species, and there is a tendency to the same along the belly. The bill appears of a more 

 brilliant yellow, dusky only near the tip above. 



It is posHhle that this may he only a variety of the II. egretla, but the size is so much greater 

 as almost to warrant its specific separation. 



List of specimens. 



Calal. : 



No. I 



Locality. 



94T0 San Diego, Cal A. Cassidy.... 



4610 ilo ; Major Emory. 



When col- 

 lected. 



Whence obtained. 



Length. 



8066 Califurnia ' 



5108? Indianola' I Feb. 20,1855. 



John Gould. 

 Capt. Pope. . 



Stretch 

 of wings. 



39.00 



57.00 



Wing. 



16.00 



Remarks. 



Bill and gums yellow. Legs black.. 



ARDEA, Linn. 



..irdca, Li.su. Syst. Nat. I, 1735, Type A. cinerea. 



Cb. — Bill very thick ; culmen nearly straight ; gonys ascending, its tip more convex than that of culmen. Middle too 

 more than half the tarsus ; tibia bare for nearly or quite one-half. Claws short, much curved ; outer too longest. Tarsus 

 breadly scutellatc anteriorly. 



Occiput with a few elonsated occipital feathers. Scapulars elongate lanceolate ; as long as the secondaries. No dorsal 

 plumes. Tail of twelve broad stiffened feathers. Back of neck well feathered. Size very large. Colors plumbeous; 

 streaked beneath. 



The two North American species of the genus as restricted, are distinguished as follows : 

 Common characters. — Above bluish ash ; the primaries and outer secondaries blackish plum- 

 beous. Head white and black. Middle of throat white, streaked with black and rufous. Edge 

 of the wing and the tibia rufous. 



Bill, 5.50. Tarsus, 6.50. Middle toe two-thirds the tarsus. Tibia bare for about one- 

 third. Under parts, except crissum, black ; the middle of the belly broadly streaked 

 with white. Neck light cinnamon brownish. Head, with the crest black ; the 



forehead white A. herodias. 



Bill, 6.50. Tarsus, 9. Middle toe nq^ two-thirds the tarsus. Tibia bare for nearly 

 half. Under parts white ; the feathers of the sides of breast and belly streaked black 

 and white. Neck ashy. Head, with the crest white ; the forehead streaked with 

 blackish A. tourdemannii. 



