THE AMERICAN EGRET. 471 



No. 211. 



AMERICAN EGRET. 



A. O. U. No. 196. Herodias egretta (Gmel.). 



Synonyms. GREAT WHITE EGRET; WHITE HERON; "WHITE CRANE." 



Description. Adult in weeding plumage : Entire plumage pure white ; 

 from the interscapular region originates a train of from forty to fifty elongated 

 feathers, "aigrettes," with enlarged and stiffened shafts, and decomposed fila- 

 mentous webs, which reach from eight to twelve inches beyond the tail; lores 

 orange ; bill yellow ; legs and feet black. Adults after the breeding season and 

 immature: Without elongated plumes on the back. Length (not counting 

 plumes) 36.00-42.00 (914.4-1066.8); wing 15.00 (381.); tail 6.75 (171.5); bill 

 4.70 (119.4) ; tarsus 6.00 (152.4) ; middle toe and claw 5.40 ) 137.2). 



Recognition Marks. Eagle size ; pure white plumage ; black legs and feet ; 

 Heron habits; "aigrette" train. 



Nesting. Not certainly known to have bred in Ohio. Nest, a mere platform 

 of sticks in bushes near or over water. Eggs, 3-5, dull blue. Av. size, 2.28 x 1.60 

 (57.9x40.6). 



General Range. Temperate and tropical America, from New Jersey, Minne- 

 sota and Oregon south to Patagonia ; casually on the Atlantic coast to Nova Scotia. 



Range in Ohio. Formerly not uncommon summer visitor; now very rare. 



NEVER was the diabolism of fashion more clearly illustrated than in 

 the case of the Egrets. The women of America have coveted the wedding 

 garments of these great, innocent, white birds, and their coveting has not 

 been in vain. In the Southern States, where birds of this and the succeeding 

 species used to breed by countless thousands, there are now only a few scat- 

 tering pairs or small colonies in the depths of the dismal forests and im- 

 penetrable everglades. And these few, instead of being allowed to spread 

 their beauties before the admiring gaze of nature lovers, flee at man's ap- 

 proach as before a pestilence. 



The peculiar cruelty of this war of extermination lies in the fact that 

 in order to secure the "aigrettes," which are to nod and dance upon some 

 lady's bonnet, the bird which owns them must be shot during the nesting 

 season. The magnificent train of feathers is provided only at this time 

 of year, as a bride is granted her best robes for the wedding day and the 

 honeymoon; and if the butchers whom the "feather merchants" hire were 

 to wait until the young birds were raised, the wedding garments of the 

 parents would be worn threadbare or cast away. Therefore, since it must 

 be done, the only way is to visit a colony during the breeding season, shoot 

 all the old birds (who will not of course desert their young), snatch out 

 their nuptial plumes, and leave their carcases to putrify, while the starving 

 children call down from the tree-tops to the ears that hear not. Thus a 



