HERON. GRALLATORES. ARDEA. 



when in the summer plumage, a course of long plumes 

 spring from the back, immediately behind the shoul- 

 ders, and hang over the tail. The webs of these fea- 

 thers are long, divided, hair-like, and silky, and are si- 

 milar in their formation and texture to those of the 

 Lesser Egret (Ardea garzetta) and the American Great 

 Egret (Ardea egrettd). The bill is of a deep wood- 

 brown colour, becoming more tinged with yellow about 

 the nostrils. The culmen is blackish-brown. The lores 

 and orbits are greyish-green : irides orange-yellow. The 

 legs and toes are yellowish-brown, tinged with red. The 

 young, and adults previous to the spring-moulting, are 

 destitute of the long dorsal plumes ; and the legs of the 

 former are of a greenish-black colour ; their bill black- 

 ish-green, tinged with yellow. 



The adult bird measures three feet four or five inches in 

 length; the bill about six inches; the tarsi eight inches; 

 and the naked part of the tibia four inches and a half 

 long. 



LITTLE EGRET HERON. 



ARDEA GARZETTA, Linn. 

 PLATE V. 



Ardea garzetta, Linn. Syst. 1. 937. 13 Gmel. Syst. 1. 628 Lath. IncU 

 Ornith. 2. 694. 64 Wagler, Syst. Av. 1. sp. 10 ShavSslZool. 11. 545. 

 Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 574. but not all his synonyms. 



Ardea nivea, Gmel. Reise, 1. 164. 



Ardea xanthodactylos, Gmel. Reise, 3. 253. the young. 



Ardea alba minor, Will, young. 



Egretta, Briss. 5. 431. 16. 



Garzetta, Raii Syn. 99. 5 Will. 206. 



L' Aigrette, Buff. Ois. 7. 372. 20. 



Heron garzette, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 574. 



Lesser White Heron, Will. (Angl.) 280. 5. 



Little Egret, Br. Zool. App. t. 7 Arct. ZooL 2. No. 347 Lath. Syn. 5. 

 p. 90. 59 Mont. Ornith. Diet Shaw's Zool. 11. 545. pi. 41. 



IF the birds mentioned in the bill of fare at the famous 

 feast of Archbishop NEVILLE, in the reign of HENRY IV, 



