AHUKID.K — THE HERONS. 



3 



arc, witli 

 ciug tlu'ii- 

 ictly or in 



order," W' 

 ble. 



• incuuibeiil ; 

 I, i= llcrodil, 



il excessivt'ly 

 t, not loi4;ti' 



ignte-conii'iil, 

 arly striiiylil, 

 width ol' tlie 



lOve the l);ist' 

 sting upon a 

 Ah. Nut. Av. 



Aii{,'le ol' the 



No accessonj 



1 hicvps cuhiti 



n at the eii<l. 

 1)111 the nasal 

 iiaiulilile ju'ii- 

 tiiict hiyi'i's) ; 

 liar tlirou;,'li- 

 uhir " belly." 



t compressed, 



liually, imuli 



Amorican 

 •e are sev- 

 ;t'pting the 



therefore 



le outlines 

 3ept, some- 

 fre(|ueutl.v 

 ulars, fre- 



quently with oriiaincntal plumes. Pluniage {generally haiulsoiao and variegated. 

 Two to three jiairs of powder-down traets. Other charaeter.s variable. 



The Herons are amonj,' the most wi(U'ly dittu.sed of birds, one siiecies, onr eomnion 

 Night Heron {yi/rflrora.r ijrisrii.s), being nearly or «iuite cosinoijolitan. Many of the 

 Old World fcn-nis have not boen examined in the present connection, but there 

 is good reason for believing that the number of sub-families here recognized as 

 rojircsented in America can be consistently increased. 



Sub-family Ardelnee. Outer toe eriual to, or decideilly longer than, the inner. Claw.s u.^ually 

 short, generally strongly curved. Three pairs of powder-down tracts. Rectrices lengthened, 

 stitlish, twelve in number (except in /thrilnn). 



Sub-family Botaurinee. Outer toe decidedly shorter than the inner. Claw.s long, slender, slightly 

 curved. Two puir.s only of powder-dowu tracts. Rectrices very short, soft, only ten in miniber. 



Synopsis of American Genera.' 



«. Sun-FAMiLY AUDKIX.E. — Tni; TnuE Hkuoxs. 

 A< Rfctriccs twelve; tihiiv u-ith the Imrer portion more or less nnlMl. 

 (I. Pectoral tmd iwji'inid powder-down tracts widely separated. 

 J. Malar region completelij feathered (except in I'tlherodins, where anterior part is biire). Bill 

 shorter than the tarsus and middle toe (usually shorter than, or aiioiit ('(pial to, the tarsu.s). 



1. Ardea. Size very large. Adnlt with scapular iiliimes elongated, narrowly-lancecdute, and 



with comj)acl webs; in the breeding seasaii, the occiput with two long, slender, compact- 

 webbed, penilaiit jduines. Color mainly iilnmbeons- or slate-l due (rarely — c. jf. white 

 phase of yl. oecidentalis — wholly pure white). C'ulnien shorter than the middle toe. 



2. Herodias. Size huge, but smaller than the species of the preceding genus. .l(?i(ZMvith 



the scapular plumos greatly elongated, reaching far beyond the end of the tail, the shafts 

 thick and rigid, the webs decomposed, hair-like, and distant. Cohir entirely pure white. 



3. Garzetta. Size small. Adnlt with occipital, jugular, nu<l scapular plumes, the latter 



reaching to (n- a little l)eyoiid the end of tin! tail ; the shafts moderately rigid, and re- 

 curved terminally ; the webs decomposed, with long, hair-like, but not distant libres 

 Other plumes varying in structure, according to the species. Color entirely pure white. 

 4 Dichromanassa. Size medium. Adnlt with the feathers of tin; entire head and neck, 

 excepting the throat and foieiieck, elongated, linear, lanceolate, and stitlish, most elon- 

 gated on the occiput and jugulum. Scapular plumes extending beyond eml of tail ; the 

 shafts rigid, the webs decomposed, with rather do.se, hair-like librilhe. Color wlndly 

 pure white, or plumbeous, with or without reddish neck. Tarsus twice as long as 

 middle toe. 



5. Hydranaasa. Size medium. Adult with an occipital tuft of .several elongated, laiiceidate 



white feathers. Jugular featliei-s broadly lanceolate, with distinct outlines. Scapular 

 plumes hair-like, extending a little beyond the tail. Color mainly plumbeous, with lower 

 parts and rump white. Bill longer than tarsus. 



6. Florida. Size small. Adult with scapular plumes elongated, extondiug to or beyond end 



of tail, linear-huiceolate, with compact webs ; jugular plumes similar ; occipital pinnies 

 hair-like, a few of them much elongated. Color pure white, with bluish ti|)s to outer 

 primaries, dark slate-blue with maroon-colored head and neck, ov variously " patched " 

 with blue and white. 



7. Butoridea. Size small. Adult with scapular iihimes elongated, compact-webbed, lance- 



olate, but with rounded tips. Feathers of the pileum elongated, lanceohite. Jugular 

 plumes broad, blended. Culmen longer than tarsus ; middle toe almost ecjual to tarsus. 

 Color much variegated. 



* The genera enclosed in bnickets are cxtraliinital. 



