ARDEID^B. 161 



Suborder ABDE.E. 

 Family ARDEID-ffi. 



Bill generally slender, straight, and compressed ; culmen slightly curved 

 near its tip; tarsus covered with transverse plates or large hexagonal 

 scales; toes long; claws well developed, usually sharp and curved; hind 

 toe well developed, its claw larger than claw of middle toe, the latter 

 pectinate. 



Genera. 

 a 1 . Rectrices twelve. 



ft 1 . Bare portion of tibio-tarsus equal to or exceeding the inner toe with claw. 

 c 1 . Middle toe with claw as long as tarsus or longer; claw of hind toe more 

 than half the length of hind toe itself and but slightly curved; plumage 



variegated, never white Pyrrherodia (p. 162) 



c 2 . Middle toe with claw shorter than tarsus ; claw of hind toe curved ; plumage 



nearly uniform slate-gray or largely white. 

 d 1 . Edge of mandibles distinctly serrated, a faintly indicated notch near tip 



of upper mandible. 



e\ Head crested, nape feathers elongated and ornamented; plumage of 

 fore neck long but not disintegrated; no dorsal train; plumage 

 uniform gray, or else, neck mostly white and crest black. 



Ardea (p. 163) 



e a . Head crested, without ornamental plumes; fore neck with disinte- 

 grated plumes; an immense dorsal train; plumage white. 



Mesophoyx (p. 166) 

 d?. Edge of mandible not serrated; a distinct subterminal notch in upper 



mandible. 

 e 1 . Bill shorter ; culmen not exceeding middle toe with claw. 



f 1 . No crest plumes; a well-developed dorsal train; plumage white. 



Herodias (p. 166) 

 e a . Bill longer ; culmen exceeding middle toe with claw ; plumage white. 



Egretta (p. 167) 



6 a . Bare portion of tibio-tarsus less than inner toe ; feathering sometimes extend- 

 ing nearly to the heel. 

 c 1 . Bill without serrations in either mandible ; upper mandible with a distinct 



notch just before the end. 

 d 1 . Culmen longer than tarsus, the latter longer than middle toe; plumage 



very dark slate-color Demigretta (p. 168) 



d 2 . Culmen not longer than tarsus; two or three elongated nape plumes. 

 e 1 . Tarsus and culmen about equal; two or three elongated nape plumes 



very slender Nycticorax (p. 169) 



e 3 . Tarsus decidedly longer than culmen; nape plumes wider. 



Gorsachius (p. 172) 

 c 2 . Bill with distinct serrations near its end, sometimes only the upper mandible 



serrated; subterminal notch obsolete. 

 d 1 . Bill moderately long, exceeding middle toe with claw; plumage more 



or less variegated Butorides (p. 174) 



d 2 . Bill shorter than middle toe with claw; plumage white. 



Bubulcns (p. 177) 

 77719 11 



