BIRDS—ARDEIDAE—ARDEA, 
HERODIAS EGRETTA, var. CALIFORNICA, Baird. 
Cu.—Pure white. Larger than H. egretta. Length, 43 inches ; wing, 17; tarsus, 6.70; bill, 5. 
Hab.—Coast of southern California, and perhaps the Rio Grande of ‘Texas. 
This bird is very similar to Herodias eqretta, but is considerably larger ; the tibiae are bare for 
half their length. The feathers of the back are not fully grown out, so that I can make no 
comparison in this respect, but the scapulars are more elongated and plume-like than in the 
other species, and there is a tendency to the same along the belly. The bill appears of a more 
brilliant yellow, dusky only near the tip above. 
It is possible that this may be only a variety of the H. egretta, but the size is so much greater 
as almost to warrant its specific separation. 
List of specimens. 
Catal. | Locality. When col- | Whence obtained. |Length.| Stretch | Wing. Remarks, 
No. lected. of wings, 
| os ——— 
9470 | San Diego, Cal........s..000 cect roceeecesceves A. Cassidy. .ceccca:Jeccecser(ree aseecleceeeens Bill and gums yellow. Legs black.......... 
4610 [estes OO ssicisiecicccescseecssscescclscsscesecceses Major Hmorycccccs loose sscllecesincos| sce. 00,00 cecacsleseviseiuanicecsinctceuseesioneg sees @eeceee 
8066 | California... ..ce,secccesscecces|sececscccevees John Gould 
5108 2) Indianola?.....sssccccesceccees Feb. 20,1855. | Capt. Pope......... 
ARDEA, Linn. 
Ardea, Lixn. Syst. Nat, I, 1735, Type 4. cinerea. 
Cu.—Bill very thick ; culmen nearly straight; gonys ascending, its tip more convex than that of cualmen. Middle toe 
more than half the tarsus; tibia bare for nearly or quite one-half. Claws short, much curved; outer toe longest. Tarsus 
breadly scutellate anteriorly. 
Occiput with a few elongated occipital feathers. Scapulars elongate lanceolate ; as long as the secondaries. No dorsal 
Tail of twelve brvad stiffened feathers. Back of neck well feathered. Size very large. Colors plumbeous ; 
streaked beneath. 
plumes. 
The two North American species of the genus as restricted, are distinguished as follows : 
Common characters.—Above bluish ash ; the primaries and outer secondaries blackish plum- 
beous. Head white and black. Middle of throat white, streaked with black and rufous. Hdge 
of the wing and the tibia rufous. 
Bill, 5.50. Tarsus, 6.50. Middle toe two-thirds the tarsus. 
third. Under parts, except crissum, black; the middle of the belly broadly streaked 
Neck lght cinnamon brownish. Head, with the crest black; the 
.A, herodias, 
Tibia bare for about one- 
with white. 
foreheadumbite manda tarseere ates: Maa Gokes Wee a cipseases ose ease 
Bill, 6.50. Tarsus, 9. Middle toe not two-thirds the tarsus. Tibia bare for nearly 
half. Under parts white; the feathers of the sides of breast and belly streaked black 
and white. Neck ashy. Head, with the crest white; the forehead streaked with 
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