128 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



tipped with rufous ; wing about 4. 85, culmen 2.00. Ilah. Southern South 

 America. 



B. involucris (Vieill.). Azara's Least Bittern.' 



Genus ARDEA Linn^cs. (Page 126, pis. XXXIV. to XXXVI.) 



Species. 



{Nest of coarse sticks, placed usually in trees. Eggs plain bluish green, var}'- 

 ing in depth of color.) 



u\ Culmen decidedly shorter than tai'sus, the latter more than one and a half times 

 as long as the middle toe (without claw). 

 6'. Tarsus much less than twice as long as middle toe (without claw), 

 c*. Wing more than 13.00. 



d}. Wing more than 17.00. Adult with scapular plumes narrowly 

 lanceolate, with compact webs ; head crested, the occiput 

 during pairing season with two or more long, slender, com- 

 l^actly webbed plumes ; plumes of lower neck stift'ened, nar- 

 rowly lanceolate, or acicular. (Subgenus Ardea.) 

 e*. Color entirely pure white; length 45.00-54.00, wing 17.00- 

 21.00, culmen 6.00-7.00, tarsus 8.00-8.75. Eggl 2.60 X 

 1.84. Hab. Southern Florida (chiefly on eastern side?); 

 Cuba ; Jamaica ? 



192. A. occidentalis Aud. Great White Heron. 

 el Color nearly uniform bluish gray above, lower pans striped 

 with black and white. 

 /^ Thighs and edge of wing cinnamon-rufous. 



g^. Lower parts white, narrowly striped or streaked with 

 black ; tarsus more than 8.50 ; legs and feet olive 

 in adult. 

 A'. Adult with head entirely white, the forehead 

 streaked with blackish. Young : Forehead 

 and crown dull slate-color, narrowly streaked 

 with white; feathers of occijiut white with 

 dusky tips; wing-coverts spotted with rusty, 

 the lower and more posterior with large 

 wedge-shaped white spots. Length 48.00- 

 50.00, wing 20.00-21.00, culmen 5.95-6.50, 

 tarsus 7.95-8.25. Eggs about 2.60 X 1-84. 

 Hab. Florida Keys and Ca))c Florida ; Ja- 

 maica?; accidental in southern Illinois (Jlount 

 Carmel, Sept. 11-22, 1876)... — . A. wuerde- 

 (12') manni B.VIKD. Wurdemann's Heron.' 



A'. Adxdt with occiput and sides of crown black (as 



> Ardca iniulucri, ViKILL., Enc. lU-th. 1323, 1127. Arjtila invulucna ScL. Jt Salv., 1'. Z. S. 1S69, 634. 



