170 



AMERIOAN ORNITHOLOGY. 



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American Egret. 



THE WHITE EGRETS, 



As we look over the herons in North America, we find two that for pure 

 loveliness stand alone, — the American Egret and the Snowy Heron. 



The AMERICAN EGRET {Herodias egretta) is a large but slender 

 built bird about 40 inches in length. His bill and eye are yellow and his legs 

 are black; the entire plumage is snow white and in breeding season they are 

 adorned with a beautiful train of about fifty long white aigrette plumes that 

 grow from the center of the back and extend for six to ten inches beyond the 

 end of the wings. 



THE SNOWY HERON {Egretta candidissima) , or Little White Egret 

 is only about 24 inches in length. It has a black bill but the bare space about 

 the eye is greenish yellow; the legs are black but the feet are yellowish in 

 both adult and young birds, this distinguishing it positively from the young 

 of the Little Blue Heron which is white, but has dark greenish legs. " The 

 plumage is snow white and during the breeding season it has a tuft of fine 

 feathers on the back of the head and on the breast and about fifty re-curved 

 aigrette plumes from the middle of the back. 



