§;■• -i 



28 



ALTRICIAL GRALLATDUES — HERODIONES. 



Of the extraliniitiil species of this genus we have only 0. nivea, Gmel., of Europe nt hand for 

 comparison. This species bears a close general resc'iul)iance to (i. aindidissivvi, bein,!,' of nearly tlie 

 same size, and liavini,' exactly similar scapular plumes. The ,)uj;ular plumes, however, are acicular 

 and somewhat ri<,'iil, instead of hairliku, with decomposed webs ; while the occipital plumes are 

 entirely different, there beinj,' two very long, narrow feathers springing from the occiput, very 

 much like those of the species of Anlm. The differences between the two species are more 

 precisely expressed in the following table ; - 



Com. f'HAK. Plumage wholly jnire white at all ages and seasons. Dorsal plumes reaching 

 to about the end of the tail, their shafts rigid and more or less strongly recurved at ends, the webs 

 decomposed, with the tiimlla; liairlike, and rather widely separated. 



1. O. candidissima. Occipital crest composed of numerous elongated feathers with their 



webs decomposed and liairlike; jugular plumes similar. Bill black, yellow at base; iris 

 and eyelids yellow ; tibiffi and tarsi black, the lower part of the latter, with toes, yellow. 

 Culmeu, 2.08-3.5') ; tarsus, 3..'it)-4.4() ; wing, 8.2()-10..5(). Hah. Warmer parts of America. 



2. O. nivea.' Occipital crest composed of two or three long, slender, decurved or pendant 



plumes, with compact webs ; jugular plumes acicular, somewhat rigid. Bill black, the 

 base light green ; tibia and upper half of tarsi black ; lower half of latter, with toes, 

 greenish-yellow. Culmen, 3.25-3.75 ; tai-sus, 3.60-4.(K) ; wing, 10.75. Ilab. Europe and 

 parts of Asia and Africa. 



3. O. immaculata.^ Similar to G. nivcu, but without occipital crest, and with the toes 



blackish. Culmen, 3.70 ; tarsus, 3.75. Hab. Australia. 



Oarzetta candidissima. 



THE SNOWY HESON. 



Ardcanivca, Jacq. Beitr. 1784, 18, no. 13 (not of S. G. Gmel. 1770-1774). — Lath. Ind. Om. H. 



1790, 696 (part). 

 Little While Heron, bATH. Synop. III. 1785, 93. 

 Little Egret, Latu. Synop. III. 1785, 90 (part ; includes also G. nivea). 

 Ardea candidissima, Gmki,. .S. N. I. ii. 1788, 633, no. 45. — \Vii,s. Am. Orn. VII. 1813, 120, pi. 62, 



fig. 4. — Ntrrr. Man. II. 1834, 49. — .\v\k Oni. Hiog. III. 1835, 317 ; V. 1839, 606, j.I. 242 ; 



Synop. 1839, 267 ; Minis Am. VI. 1843, 163, pi. 374. — Cones, Key, 1872, 267 ; Check List, 



1873, 89, no. 453 ; Birds X. W. 1874, 521. — Keicuf.xow, ,I. f. 0. 1877, 273. 

 Garzetta candidissima, Boxap. Cons|). II. 1855, 119. — Baiuo, Birds X. Am. IS.'iS, 665; C.it. N. 



Am. B. 1859, no. 485. — Ridu\y. Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 490. — CouES, Check List, 2d ed. 



1882, no. 659. 

 Ardca oula, Gmki,. S. X. I. ii. 1788, 633 (Chili). 

 Ardea thula, L.vru. Ind. Orn. II. 1791, 688. 

 Ardca carol incnsis, Oitn. ed. Wils. VII. 1825, 125. 

 Ardea lacfca, "Cuv." Less. Tmite, I. 1831, 575 (Cayenne). 



Hab. The whole of temperate and tropical America, from the northern United States to Chili 

 and Buenos Ayres ; suunncr or autumnal visitant only at the northern and southern extremes of 

 its range. West Indies. 



Sp. Char. Length, about 20.(X)-24.00 ; expanse of wings, about 36.00-40.00 ; wing, 8.20- 

 10.50 ; tail, 3.00-4.80 ; cidmen, 2.08-3.65 ; depth of bill, .40-.55 ; tarsus, 3.15-4.50 ; middle 



I GAiiZETTA nivea, Gmcl. Tlie Little Egret of Europe. 



Ardca garzetta, Lisn. S. N. I. 1766, 237. — Xaum. Vog. Dcutschl. IX. 1838, 101, pi. 223. 



Egretta garzetta, Macgii.l. Hist. Brit. R. IV. 1852, 471 (Little White Egret). 



Ardcanivca, S. G. Gmki.. Nov. Comm. Petrop. XV. 458, pi. 17. 



Ilcrodim nivea, Buemm, Viig. Dcutscld. p. 587. 



Heroditts JHbata, Bkeum, Vog. Deutsehl. p. 586. 

 » Garzetta immaculata, Gould. Australian Little Egret. 



fferodias immaculata, GouLn, B. Austmlia, vol. VI. 1848, pi. 68. 



