58 HERODIONES : Herons, Storks, Ibises, etc. 



EGRET 



(196. Casmerodius egretta) 38 in. 



Pure white; yellow bill; black legs. A very large bird of the 

 Heron family; unique, in our region, in its distinctive size and 

 snowy dress. In breeding-season has long plumes (aigrettes) 

 growing from back. These are lost in the summer moult, when 

 adults and immatures are hardly distinguishable. 



SNOWY EGRET 



(197. Egretta candidissima candidissima) 24 in. 



Plumage wholly pure white; crown feathers lengthened, 

 forming a long, thin crest; scapulars developed into plumes, re- 

 curved at the end (" aigrettes," worn only during the breeding- 

 season); bill and legs black; feet yellow. 



CALIFORNIA HERON 



(194d. Ardea herodias hyperonca) 3^-4 feet. 



Uniform blue-gray above; below, white striped with buff and 

 black; head crested, with black plumes. 



Immatures browner and without crest or plumes. 



Our largest Heron. Better known as the "Great Blue 

 Heron," which occurs in some form over nearly all North 

 America. 



Feeds on fish, frogs, crayfish, etc., sometimes on mice, or even 

 gophers, for which it waits catlike and which it spears with its 

 sharp bill. 



TREGANZA HERON 



(194c. Ardea herodias treganzai) 



A pale form of Great Blue Heron, not certainly distinguish- 

 able in the field from light individuals of the California Heron, 

 with which it sometimes occurs in migration. Its light plumage 

 is characteristic of the arid interior where it lives. 



Feeding-habits are those of the Great Blue wherever found. 



