130 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 



ican 6f)ccie8) soft, broad, and not lengthened ; color always 

 wholly pure white. (Subgenus Ilerodias Boie.) 

 Length 37.00-41.00, wing 14.10-16.80, culmen 4.20-4.90, tar- 

 sus 5.50-6.80. Eijcjs 2.28 X 1.60. Hab. Nearly the whole 

 of America, north (casualh- at least) to British Provinces 

 and Oregon, south to Chili and Palagonia. 



196. A. egretta Gmel. American Egret, 

 c'. Wing less than 11.00. 



d\ Adult with occipital, jugular, and scapular plumes greatly devel- 

 oped, with much decomposed webs; the scapular plumes ex- 

 tending to or beyond the tail and recurved at tips ; color 

 always entirely pure white. (.Subgenus Garzetta K.\up.) 



Length 20.00-27.25, wing 8.20-10.50, culmen 2.08-3.65, tarsus 

 3.15-4.50. Eggs 1.68 X 1H4. Hah. Whole of tropical and 

 warm-temperate America, north (more or less regular!}') 

 nearly across United States, anil south to Chili and Argen- 

 tine Republic. 197. A. candidissimaGjiEL. Snowy Heron. 

 d\ Adult with scapular and jugular plumes elongated, narrowly lan- 

 ceolate, compact-webbed;' occipital plumes slender, only a few 

 of them much elongated ; color varying from uniform dark 

 slate-blue, with maroon-colored head and neck, to wholly pure 

 white. (Subgenus Florida Baird.) 



Adult usually uniform dark slate-blue, with maroon-colored 

 head and neck, but not unfrequently " pied" with white, 

 or even almost wholly white, with bluish tips to longer 

 quills. Young usually pure white, with longer quills 

 tipped with slate-blue. Length 20.00-29.50, wing 9.00- 

 10.60, culmen 2.70-3.30, tarsus 3.15-4,00. Eggs 1.73 X 1.28. 

 Hab. Whole of tropical and warm-temperate North Amer- 

 ica (except western United States), north to Massachusetts, 

 Illinois, Kansas, etc., south to Colombia and Guiana and 

 throughout West Indies. 



200. A. caerulea Ijinn. Little Blue Heron. 

 i'. Tarsus twice as long as midiUe toe, without claw. 



Adult with feathers of head and neck (excepting throat and upper fore- 

 neck) elongated and narrowly lanceolate, most lengthened on occi- 

 put and lower fore-neck ; scapular plumes much lengthened (ex- 

 tending bej-ond end of tail), with shafts straight and stiffened, the 

 webs decomposed, but with the hair-like fibrillas rather close to- 

 gether; color uniform, or else irregularlj' patched with white and 

 slat}'. (Subgenus Dichromanas.m Ridoway.) 

 c". Adult plain slate-color, the head and neck cinnamon- or vinaceousrnfous. 

 Young plain grayish, tinged hero and there with rust}'. Length 

 27.00-32.00, wing 11.90-13.60, culmen 3.30-4.00, tarsus 4.90-5.75. 



i Some of the longer scapular plumes arc somotimes looso-wobbcd. 



