of the United States. 155 



Adult, crest and neck-fringe large, of loose flowing feathers; 

 back with long silky plumes curled upwards, reaching but 

 little beyond the tail. 



Young but slightly crested, destitute of the dorsal train. 



Snowy Heron, Ardea candidissima, Wils. Am. Orn. vii. 

 p> 120. pi. 62. jig. 4. adult. 



Inhabits both Americas ; said to be found also in Asia, 

 which may be doubted. 



Ardea alba, L. Slightly crested ; snowy-white ; legs very 

 long, slender, naked for four inches above the tarsus ; toes 

 much elongated ; bill yellow, legs black. 



Adult, back with long flowing plumes, stiff and falling, 

 reaching much beyond the tail. 



Young, and moulting, destitute of the dorsal train. 



Great White Heron, Ardea egretta, Wils. Am. Orn. vii. 

 p. 106. pi. 61. Jig. 4. adult. 



Inhabits the northern hemisphere. 



From the above phrases it will be seen that our new Ardea 

 differs from its allied species, including the European A. gar- 

 zetta, by the flesh-color of its bill. With the A. alba, it can- 

 not be confounded, being much smaller, though larger than 

 the two others. From the A. garzetta, it is moreover distin- 

 guished by its large compound crest, &,c. and from the 

 A. candidissima, by the quality and texture of the ornamental 

 feathers. 



ARAMUS. 

 It is with great satisfaction that we are now able to with- 

 draw a nominal species, introduced by us, if not into the Or- 

 nithology of the United States, at least into the general sys- 

 tem. We mean our supposed new Rallus giganteus, (see addi- 

 tions to the Orn. of the U. S., Journal of the Acad. Nat. Sc. 

 Philad. v. pt. 1. p. 31.) This bird, if not Scolopax (Numc- 

 nius, Lath.) guarauna of Linne, is most undoubtedly the 

 Ardea scolojiacea of Gmelin and Latham, and ought at all 



