880 ,S^ YS TEMA TIC S YNOPSIS. -HER ODIONES - HER ODII. 



DICHROMANAS'SA. (Gr. Si'?, (lis, twice; XP-^M"' chroma, color; and avacraa; alluding to 

 the dichroniatisui of D. rufa.) DiciiROic Egrets. Of medium size : length about 30.00. 

 Bill slender, much as in the last, but shorter than the very long tarsus, which is about twice as 

 long as middle toe. Toes extremely short (for this family). Feathers of head and neck elon- 

 gate, lance-linear and stiffish, distinct; the longest forming occipital and jugular tufts. A 

 scapular train of long decomposed feathers, with stiffened shafts. Dichromatic; pure white or 

 colored ; in latter state, without the white throat-line of most Herons. As subgenus oi Ardea 

 in A. 0. U. Lists. 



D. ru'fa. (Lat. r(//a, reddish.) Reddish Egret. Peale's Egret. Adult <J 9 > «<^'l"'»"«^d 

 phase : Grayish-blue, rather paler below ; no white throat-line ; head and neck lilac-brown ; 

 ends of train yellowish. Bill black on terminal third, rest flesh-colored, like lores ; iris white ; 

 legs blue, scales of tarsus blackish. Young: Plain grayish, with some rusty touches. Adults 

 and young, white phase : Plumage entirely pure white. Bill, lores, and eyes as before ; legs 

 dark greenish, soles yellowish. In this state the bird is "Peale's Egret," long held for a dis- 

 tinct species, then long supposed to be only the young ; but some individuals are white, and 

 others colored, throughout their lives. Length 28.00-31.00; extent about 46.00; wing 12.50- 

 13.50; tail 4.50; bill 4.00; tibia; bare 4.00; tarsus 5.50-0.00; middle toe and claw 3.00. Gulf 

 States strictly, Texas to Florida; maritime; resident; N. casually to Illinois and Colorado; 

 Mexico, Lower California, Cuba, Jamaica, Guatemala, northern South America. Nests in 

 communities, with other species, upon low bushes, sometimes on the ground ; eggs 3-4, of 

 usual shape and color, from 1.90 X 1-48 to 2.12 X 1.55, averaging 2.00 X 1.50. Ardea rufa 

 BoDD, 1783; Coues, Key, 1872, p. 268; A. 0. U. List, 1886, No. 198. Ardea riifescens Gm. 

 1788; A. 0. U. List, 2d ed. 1895, No. 198. Ardea pealei Bp. 1826; A. 0. U. Hypothetical 

 List, No. 10. Deiniegretta rufa and D. pealei Bd. B. N. A. 1858, pp. 661, 662. Dichroma- 

 nassa rufa RivtGW . 1878; Coues, Key, 2d-4th eds. 1884-90, p. 601. Ardea (Dichromanassa) 

 rufa and A. (D.) pealei Ridgw. Man. 1887, p. 131. 



FLOR'IDA. (Named for the State, which was originally called Pascua fiorida or Pascua de 

 jlores by Ponce de Leon, because discovered on Easter Sunday of 1512.) Small Blue and 

 White Herons. Of small size ; length about 2 feet. Bill about as long as tarsus, slender, 

 very acute ; culmen gently curved from near base ; under outline straight or slightly concave. 

 Head of adult witli lengthened decomposed feathers ; those of lower neck, and scapulars, length- 

 ened and linear-lanceolate, but compact-webbed ; no scapular train of fringed feathers. Neck 

 bare behind below. Dichromatic; color blue or white, or both. As subgenus oi Ardea in 

 A. 0. U. Lists. 



F. coeru'lea. (Lat. coerulea, blue.) Little Blue Heron. Little White Heron (not 

 to be confused with Little White Egret). Adult ^ 9, colored phase: Slaty-blue or dark 

 grayish-blue, becoming jnirplish-red or maroon-colored on neck and head. Bill and loral 

 space blue, shading to black toward end ; legs and feet black ; eyes yellow. Length about 

 24.00; extent 40.00-42.00; wing about 10.50: tail 4.25; bill 3.00-3.40, tarsus the same, or 

 rather more; tibiie bare 2.00. In another phase, entirely white; but generally showing traces 

 of blue here and there, especially on ends of primaries. Pure white birds require a second 

 glance to distinguish them fnjm inanature Garzetta candidissima, as they are of same size, and 

 not strikingly difterent in form : notice lores and basal half of bill greenish-blue, the rest black- 

 ish ; most of lower mandible yellowish ; legs greenish-blue, with yellow traces, or bluish-black 

 (the Snowy Heron has no blnishness about the soft parts, and the Little Blue Heron always 

 has traces of bluish, at least on the ends of the primaries, in the plumage, even from the nest). 

 S. Atlantic and Gulf States, resident, abundant; N. in summer often to the Middle States, 

 casually to New England and Nova Scotia ; W. to Kansas and Nebraska ; S. through West 

 Indies and Central America to South America. Nesting as usual; eggs 3-4, 1.75 X 1.25, 

 of usual shape and color. 



