BIRDS — ARDEIDAE — GAEZETTA CANDIDISSIMA. 



6G5 



GAEZETTA CANDIDISSIMA, Bo nap. 



Snowy Heron. 



^rdea nivea, Jacqoin, Beit. 1784, 18. Not of S. G. Gmelin of prior date, and same genus. — Latham, Ind. II, 1790, 



G96, (in part.)— LicHT. Verz. 1823, No. 795. 

 ^rdeo canrfMissima, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 633.— Wilson, Am. Orn. VII, 1813, 120; pi. 62.— Bon. Obs. 

 Wils. 1825, No. 194.— Ib. Syn. 1828, 305.— Wagler, Syst. Av. 1827, ^rdea. No. 11.— Ndtt. 



Man. II, 1834, 49.— Ann. Orn. Biog. Ill, 1835, 317: V, 1839, 60G ; pi. 242.— Ib. Syn. 269.— 



In. Birds Amer. VI, 1843, 163. 

 Egretta candidissima, Bonap. List, 1838. — Gosse, Birds Jam. 1847, 336. 

 Herodias candidissima, Gray, Genera. — GuNDLAcn, Cab. Jour. IV, 1856, 342. 

 Garzella candidissima, Bonap. Consp. 1855, 119. 

 .Srdea carolinensis, Ord. ed. Wilson, VII, 1825, 125. 

 Snowy heron, Latham . 



Sp. Ch. — Occiput much crested. Dorsal plumes reaching to tho end of the tail. Colors pure white. Bill black ; the 

 base yellow. Legs black. Length, 24 ; wing, 10.20 ; tarsus, 3.80 ; bill above, 3.15. 

 Hah, — Coast of Middle and Gulf States, and across to California, 



Bill compressed ; culmen slightly concave in tlie basal two-tWrds ; terminally more convex 

 than the gonys. Middle toe, three-fourths the tarsus. Tibia bare for nearly one-half. Occiput 

 ■with a full crest of loosely fibred feathers as long as the bill ; the feathers on the lower part of 

 the throat somewhat similar. The middle of the back with a series of plumes, with the fibrillae 

 distant and lengthened ; the plumes recurved at tip, where the fibrillae of opposite sides are 

 horizontal, but approximated together in a vertical plane. They reach nearly to the tip of the 

 tail, sometimes beyond it. 



Bill black, yellow at the base, including the loral region and around the eye, as also a larger 

 basal portion of the lower mandible. Leg black ; the lower part of the tarsus behind and the 

 toes yellow. Color of plumage throughout pure white. 



A specimen from California, 9469, has the occipital crest much elongated, considerably 

 longer than the bill ; the other plumes also more developed. 



This species differs from the Garzetta egretta, Bon. , of the Old World, in having the bill shorter 

 than the tarsus, instead of equal. The crest in egretta is much smaller and less developed. 



Most authors quote Jacquin for the name candidissima of this species. A reference to this 

 work shows, however, that he used the word nivea, already pre-occupied for the Ardea garzetta. 



List of specimens. 



July 24, 1858. 



84 b 



