ARDEID.E. 161 



Suborder AKDE.E. 



Family ARDEID^. 



Bill generally slender, straight, and compressed ; culnien slightly curved 

 near its tip; tarsus covered with transverse plates or large hexagonal 

 scales; toes long; claws well developed, usually sharp and curved; hind 

 toe well developed, its claw larger than claw of middle toe, the latter 



pectinate. 



Genera, 

 a^. Rectrices twelve. 



6\ Bare portion of tibio-tarsus equal to or exceeding the inner toe with claw. 

 c\ Middle toe with claw as long as tarsus or longer; claw of hind toe more 

 than half the length of hind toe itself and but slightly curved ; plvunage 



variegated, never white Pyrrherodia (p. 162) 



r. Middle toe with claw shorter than tarsus ; claw- of hind toe curved ; plumage 

 nearly uniform slate-gray or largely white. 

 d}. Edge of mandibles distinctly serrated, a faintly indicated notch near tip 

 of upper mandible. 

 e^. Head crested, nape feathers elongated and ornamented: plumage of 

 fore neck long but not disintegrated; no dorsal train; plumage 

 uniform gray, or else, neck mostly white and crest black. 



Ardea ( p. 163) 

 e'. Head crested, without ornamental plumes; fore neck with disinte- 

 grated plumes; an immense dorsal train; plumage white. 



Mesophoyx (p. 165) 

 <1r. Edge of mandible not serrated; a distinct subterminal notch in upper 

 mandible. 

 e^. Bill shorter: culmen not exceeding middle toe with claw. 



f. Xo crest plumes: a well -developed dorsal train; phnnage wliite. 



Herodias ( p. 166) 

 e-. Bill longer; culmen exceeding middle toe with claw; plumage white. 



Egretta (p. 167) 

 h'. Bare portion of tibio-tarsus less tlian inner toe: feathering sometimes extend- 

 ing nearly to the heel, 

 c*. Bill without serrations in eitlier niaiulible: upper mandible with a distinct 

 notch just before the end. 

 <V. Culmen longer than tarsus, the latter longer than mi(UUe toe; plumage 



very dark slate-color Demigretta (p. 168) 



d". Culmen not longer than tarsus; two or three elongated nape ])lumes. 

 p\ Tarsus and culmen about equal; two or three elongated nape phmies 



very slender Nycticorax i ]•. 1)>9) 



e^. Tarsus decidedly longer than culmen; nape plumes wider. 



Gorsachius ( p. 172) 

 c'. Bill with distinct serrations near its end, sometinu'S only the up|)er mandilile 

 serrated,' subterminal notch obsolete, 

 rf'. Bill moderately long, exceeding middle toe with claw: ])lumage more 



or less variegated Butorides (p. 174) 



(/-. Bill shorter than middle toe witli chnx : plumage white. 



Bubulcus (p. 177) 

 77719 11 



