EXPLANATORY INDEX. 405 



EGRET.- This beautiful little heron (Ardea egretta), is 

 pure white in colour except the delicate train feathers, which 

 have a slight creamy tinge. They are long enough to hang 

 over the tail, which they conceal when the bird is in repose. 



Owing to their beauty, these plumes are in great request for 

 the ornamentation of head-dresses, not only for the natives, 

 but for ladies in Europe. The natives, who take great pride 

 in their head-dresses of ceremony, and arrange the feathers 

 with marvellous taste, make much use of the plumes, which 

 they mingle with the feathers of macaws and parrots. 



The second sketch was taken from a fine specimen in the 

 possession of J. F. Jackson, Esq., of Bexley. As evening had 

 come on the bird had retired to a sort of small grotto on the 

 edge of a pond, and had sunk to sleep, as represented (p. 406). 

 Owing to the darkness of the evening I had nearly passed the 

 bird without seeing it, and but for the snowy whiteness of 

 its plumage, it would have escaped unnoticed. 



