AIJUEID.*;— THE HERONS. 124* 



Ardea egretta Gmel. 



THE AHEBICAN £OR£T. 



Popnlar synomyms. Great White Egret; White "Crane;" Garza blanca Brando (Mexico). 

 I. a (; ramie Mgretle (I Amerique BoPF. PI. Enl. 1770-86, pi. 925. 

 Great White lleron'Lkin. Synop. iii. 1785. 91. 

 (ireat Egret Lath. t. o. 89 (based on Pi. Enl. 925). 



Ardea egretta Gmel. S. N. i. ITKi. i;29. No. 31 (based on PI. Eal. 925. ancl Lath. t. c.).— Wils 

 Am. Orn. vii. 1813. 106. pi. til. flg. 4.— Nutt. Man. ii, 18.34. 47.— AuD. Orn. Bioc iv. 

 1838. 6(i0, pl. 336: Synop. 1839, 265: B. Am. vi. 181.3, 132, pi. 370.— CouES. Key, 1872, 267; 

 Check List, 1873, No. 452: Birds N. W. 1871,519.- A. O. U. Check List, 1886, No. 196.- 

 KiDGW. Man. N. Am. I5. 1887. 130. 

 Uej-odias egretta Gbay, Gon. B. iii. 1849.--Baibd. B. N. Am. 1S58. 666; Cat. N. Aju. B. 1859, 



No. 486.— RiDOW. Orn. 40tli par. 1877, .— B. B. & It. Water B. N. Am. i, ISSI, 23.— 



ConES. Check List, od. 2, 18S2, No. 658. 

 Herndias n!ba, var. egretta, Ridgw. Ann. Lye. N. Y. Jan. 1874. 386. 

 Herndias allm egretta Ridgw. Bull. Essex Inst. Oct. 1874, 171; Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, No. 489. 

 Berodias egretta, var. cali/ornica Baibd, B. N. Am. 1858, Cfi7; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, No. 486 a. 

 Ardea lenre "ILLIGER." LiCHT. Verz. Doubl. 1823. No. 793. 

 Ardea alba, subspeo. oalatea. Reichenow, J. I. O. 1877, 272. 



Hab. The whole of temperate and tropical America, from Nova Scotia. Ontario, 

 Minnesota, and Oregon, to Patajjonia; throuBhout the West Indies. 



8p. Chab. Length, about 37.00-39.00; extent, about 55.00-57.00; wing, 14.10-16.80; tail, 

 5.60-7.30; eulmen, 4.20-4.90; depth of bill, .7a-.S0: tarsus, 5.50-6.80; middle toe, 3.50-4.30; naked 

 portion of tibia, 3.50-4.50; weiglit, about 2M Ib.s. Color entirely pure white at all seasons 

 and at all ages. Bill and lores rich chrome-yellow (the latter sometimes tinged with light 

 green), the eulmen usually black near the lip, sometimon nearly the entire ma.\illa black; 

 iris naples-yellow; legs and feet entirely deep black. 



Having- 8peciinen.s before us from all parts of its range, we 

 are unable to detect in this species any variations of a geograph- 

 ical nature. The chief difference between individuals consists in 

 the amount of black on the maxilla, this being- sometimes al- 

 most nil, while again the maxilla may be entirely black. That 

 this variation has no relation to season is shown by tiie fact 

 that in a considerable series shot from one "rookery"' in Florida, 

 and all bearing- the nuptial train, the extremes are presented by 

 different individuals, others being variously intermediate. 



The Great White Egret is either a summer resident or visitant 

 in almost every portion of the State. While no doubt breeding 

 in many localities it usually occurs as a visitor late in summer, 

 in August and September, when it may be seen, either singly or 

 ill small groups, sometimes in large numbers, wading about in 

 shoal places in the rivers or ])onds. I'rofi'ssor Forbes informs 

 me that it is abundant all summer on the Illinois lliver us far 

 north as Peoria; but he does not state whether it is known to 

 breed there. 



— D. 



