ARDEID.K — TIIK IIEUONS — IJKRODIAS. 23 



Hasselq., of Java, India, Japan, New South Walos, and Tasmania ; (4) //. iimorensis, Cuv., of 

 Timor ; and (5) H. brcvijies, A'err. & Desm., from New C'aledonia. To which of these tlie fourth 

 species of the following synopsis belongs, I am at present unable to determine. 



Synopsis of Species. 



A> Jugular plitmcs slightly lengthened, with broad iduI nndceomjiosed wehn. 

 a. With liLclit-colored logs and feet, and the hill usually principally dusky. 



1. H. alba,i Plumes of the train reaching to only aliout 2-3 inches beyond the tail ; bill 

 chicHy dusky in the breeding plumage ; legs and leet chiefly light tlesli-colored, with the 

 larger scutella; more brownish. Wing, 16.00-18.30; culraen, 4.75-G 00 ; tar.sus, 6.50- 

 7.90 ; middle toe, 3.60-4.60. Ilah. Europe and other parts of Old World. 

 h. Witli ih'r]> black legs and feet, the bill usually mostly yellow. 



■2. H. syrmatophorus.- With a short train, like II. alba, but bill wholly yellow, and the 

 legs and feet deep black (except tiliia-, which are pale dull yellow), as in //. cgrctta. Wing, 

 14..50 ; culmen, 4.50 ; tarsus, 6.25 ; middle toe, 3.65. Hab. Australia. 



3. H. egretta. Bill usually chiefly yellow, with more or less of the terminal portion black ; 



sometimes, however, with the manilla wholly black or entirely yellow ; til^ise black. 

 Train extending usually 6 inches or more beyond the tail. Wing, 14.10-16.80 ; culraen, 

 4.20-4.90 ; tarsus, 5,50-6.80 ; middle toe, 3.50-4.30. Hab. Warmer parts of America. 

 0« Jugular plumes similar to those of the dorsal train, only smaller. 



4. H. plumlferus.^ Bill with about the terminal half of both mandibles black, the basal 



portion pule-coljored (yellow in life !) ; legs and feet deep black. Wing, 12.50 ; culmen, 

 3.10; tarsus, 4.80; middle toe, 3. Hab. China (No. 85747 U. S. Nat. Mas. ; $ ad., 

 Woo Sung, China, May 23, 1881 ; Shanghai Museum) ; Au.stralia (Gould). 



Herodias egretta. 



THE AMERICAN EGRET. 



La Grande Aigrette d'Amirique, Bufk. T\. Eul. 1770-Sti, pi. 925. 



Great White Heron, Lath. Syuop. 111. 1785, 91. 



Great Egret, Lath. t. c. 89 (based on PI. Enl. 925). 



Ardra egretta, G.MEI,. S. N. I. 1788, 629, no. 34 (based on PI. Eul. 925, and Lath., 1. c). — WiLS. 



Am. Orn. VII. 1813, lOG, pi. 61, fig. 4. — Nutt. Man. II. 1834, 47. — AuD. Orn. Biog. IV. 



1838, 600, pi. 386; Synop. 1839, 265; B. Am. VI. 1843, 132, pl. 370. — CoUES, Key, 1872, 



267 ; Check List, 1873, no. 452 ; Birds N. W. 1874, 519. 

 Herodias egretta. Gray, Gen. B. III. 1849. — Baird, B. N. Am. 1858, 666; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, 



no. 486. — CorEs, Check List, ed. 2, 1882, no. 658. 

 Herodias alba, var. egretta, RiDOW. kxa. Lye. N. Y. Jan. 1874, 386. 

 Herodias alba egretta, Ridgw. Bull. Essex Inst. Oct. 1874, 171 ; Nom. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 489. 



1 Herodias alba, Linn. European Egret. 



Ardea alba, Linn. S. N. ed. 10, 1. 1758, 144 ; cd. 12, I. 1766, 239. 



Herodias alba. AucT. 



Ard^^a egrcttoidcs, S. G. G.MEI.. Rcise, II. 193, pl. 24. 



Erodius Victoria;, Maogill. Man. N. H. Orn. II. 131. 



Herodias Candida, Brehm, Vog. Deutschl. £84. 



2 HEltODiAS STRMATopHORr.s, GouUl. .Australian Egret. 



Herodias syrmatophorus, GorLf), B. Austr. VI. 1848, pl. 56. 

 It is somewhat doubtful whether this bird can be separated from H. eyretla. X Floridian specimen of 

 the latter is in all rcipccts identical, except as to size, the measurements being, wing, 15.50 ; culmen, 4.50 ; 

 tarsus, 6.00 ; and middle toe, 3.85, — certainly not as great a difference as occurs between specimens of 

 either H. alba or H. egretta. 



' Herodias PLrMiFERUs, Gould. Plumed Egret. 



Herodias }>hmiferus, Gori.D, P. Z. S. 1847, 221 ; B. Austr. VI. 1848, pl. 57. 



