125* BIRDS OP ILLINOIS. 



Subgenus Garzetta Kaup. 



Garzetta Kadp, Nat. Syst. Eur. Thierw. 1829, 76.— Bonap. Consp. ii. 1S53, 118. Type. 

 Ardea garzetta Linn. 



Sdbgen. Chak. Small white Herons, crested at all age.s and seasons, and inthe nuptial 

 season adorned with jugular and dorsiil plumes. Bill slender, very little compressed, the 

 eulmen decidedly curved tor the terminal half, somewhat depressed for the basal halt, the 

 sonys nearly straight, but ascending; the lower edge of the mandibular rami straight or 

 iipprejiably concave. Mental apex falling far short of reaching halt-way from the middle 

 of the eye to the point of the bill; malar apex reaching just as far as the frontal apex, and 

 falling tar short of the posterior end of the nostrils. Toes short, the middle one but Uttle 

 more than one half the tarsus, the hallux about one half its length; bare portion of tibia 

 nearly three fourths as long as the tarsus. Tarsal souteljje as in Herodias. 



Nuptial plumes adorning the ocoiput.jugulum, and back; these, in the American species, 

 all of similar structure, having decomposed webs; but in the Old World species, those of 

 the occiput and jugulum narrow and with compact webs. Dorsal plumes (in all species) 

 reaching but Uttle beyond the tail, and strongly recurved at ends. 



Ardea candidissima Gmel. 



THE SNOWY HERON. 



Popular synonyms. Little Egret; White-crested Egret; White Poke; Black-legged Gaulin 



(Jamaica); Garza blanca chiea (Mexico). 

 Ardea nivea Jacq. Beitr. 1784, 18, No. 13 {not of S. G. Gmel. 17ro-1771).— Lath. Ind. Orn. ii, 



1790, 090 (part). 

 Little White Heron Lath. Synop. iii, 1785, 93. 



Little Egret Lath. Synop. iii, 1785, 90 (part; includes also G. nivea). 

 Ardea candidissima Gmei,. S. N. i, pt.ii, 1788, C33, No.45.— WrLS. Am. Orn. vii, 1813. 120, pi 52, 



flg. 4.— NUTT. Man. ii. 1834. 49.— AuD. Orn. Biog. iii, 1835. 317; v, 1839, 60C, pi. 212; 



Synop. 1839, 2G7; Birds Am. vi, 1813, 103, pi. 374.— CouES. Key, 1872. 267; 2d od. 1SS4; 



Check List. 1873, 89, No. 453; Birds N. W. 1874, 521.— Reichenow, J. f. O. 1877, 273.— 



A. 0. U. Check List. 18SG, No. 197.— Kidgw. Man. N. Am. B. 1887, 130. 

 Garzetta candidissiiria BoNAP. Con«p. ii. 1855, 119.— Bated, Birds N. Am. 1858. 665; Cat. 



N. Am. B. 1859, No. 483.— Kinii .v. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, No. 490.— CouES, Check List, 



2d od. 1882, No. 059.- B. B. & E. Waicr B. N. Am. i, 1884, 2S. 

 Ardea aula Gmel. S. N. i, pt. ii, 1788, 033 (Chili). 

 Ardea thula Lath. Ind. Orn. ii. 1791. 688. 

 Ardea carolinensis Ord. od. Wils. vii, 1825, 125. 

 Ardea lactea "Cuv." Loss. Traite, i, 1831,575 (Cayenne). 



Hab. The whole of temperate and tropical America, from the northern ITnitod States 

 to Chili and Argentine Republic; summer or autumnal visitant only at the northern and 

 ■southern extremes of its range. West Indies. 



Sp. CnAn. rinmago entirely pure white, at all ages and seasons. Bill black, the basal 

 poition of the under mandible (sometimes one half) yellow or otherwise pale-colored; lores, 

 iris, and eyelids yellow or orange-yellow; tibiaj and tarsi black, the lower portion of the 

 latter, with the toes, yellow; claws blackish. 



Nuptial plumes slonder-shaftod and loose-fibred, those of the back reaching to or 

 slightly beyond the end of the tail, .ind, normally, recurved terminally; those of the occiput 

 ■sometimes exceeding the bill in length; those of the jugulum slightly less developed. In 

 the young these are all absent, except on the occiput, where they are but slightly de- 

 veloped; in the adults t.';e occipital plumes appear to be permanent, the others assumed 

 only during the breeding season. 



