﻿256 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  b}' 
  the 
  heron's 
  daggerhke 
  beak 
  and 
  drawn 
  ashore 
  only 
  to 
  be 
  discarded 
  

   because 
  they 
  were 
  too 
  large 
  even 
  for 
  his 
  capacious 
  gullet. 
  

  

  The 
  tallest 
  trees 
  in 
  the 
  swamp 
  are 
  usualh' 
  selected 
  for 
  their 
  nesting 
  

   sites. 
  The 
  nest 
  is 
  a 
  bulky 
  affair 
  made 
  of 
  large 
  sticks 
  and 
  rather 
  fiat 
  on 
  top. 
  

   The 
  eggs 
  are 
  from 
  three 
  to 
  six 
  in 
  number 
  of 
  a 
  pale 
  greenish 
  blue, 
  ellipsoidal 
  

   in 
  shape 
  and 
  about 
  2.55 
  by 
  1.52 
  inches 
  in 
  size. 
  The 
  young 
  remain 
  in 
  the 
  

   nest 
  about 
  four 
  weeks 
  and 
  often 
  set 
  up 
  a 
  rattling 
  clamor 
  for 
  food, 
  resembling 
  

   somewhat 
  the 
  barking 
  of 
  a 
  litter 
  of 
  young 
  dogs. 
  

  

  Herodias 
  egretta 
  (Gmelin) 
  

   American 
  Egret 
  

  

  Plate 
  24 
  

  

  Ardea 
  egretta 
  Gmelin. 
  Syst. 
  Nat. 
  1788. 
  2:629 
  

  

  Ardea 
  leuce 
  DeKay. 
  Zool. 
  N. 
  Y. 
  1844. 
  pt 
  2, 
  p. 
  220, 
  fig. 
  186 
  

  

  Ardea 
  egretta 
  A. 
  O. 
  U. 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed. 
  2. 
  1895. 
  No. 
  194 
  

  

  egret'ta, 
  from 
  French 
  aigrette, 
  a 
  kind 
  of 
  heron, 
  also 
  a 
  plume 
  

  

  Description. 
  Adult 
  in 
  breeding 
  phunagc: 
  Entirely 
  white; 
  about 
  50 
  

   straight 
  plumes, 
  or 
  "aigrettes," 
  spring 
  from 
  the 
  back 
  and 
  extend 
  con- 
  

   siderably 
  beyond 
  the 
  tail; 
  bill, 
  lores 
  and 
  eyes 
  yellow; 
  legs 
  and 
  feet 
  black. 
  

   Immature 
  and 
  adults 
  after 
  breeding 
  season: 
  Without 
  the 
  dorsal 
  plumes. 
  

  

  Length 
  36-42 
  inches; 
  the 
  train 
  of 
  plumes 
  extending 
  10 
  or 
  12 
  inches 
  

   farther; 
  extent 
  53-56; 
  wing 
  14. 
  3-17; 
  tail 
  5.6-6.5; 
  bill 
  4.3-5; 
  tarsus 
  5.5- 
  

   6.75; 
  tibia 
  bare 
  3.5. 
  The 
  females 
  have 
  the 
  smaller 
  dimensions. 
  

  

  Distribution. 
  This 
  species 
  inhabits 
  tropical 
  and 
  temperate 
  America 
  

   as 
  far 
  north 
  as 
  Virginia 
  and 
  Missouri. 
  After 
  the 
  breeding 
  season 
  it 
  straggles 
  

   northward 
  as 
  far 
  as 
  Oregon, 
  Manitoba 
  and 
  Nova 
  Scotia. 
  In 
  our 
  State 
  

   it 
  is 
  an 
  occasional 
  summer 
  visitant. 
  Giraud 
  speaks 
  of 
  its 
  occurrence 
  on 
  

   Long 
  Island 
  as 
  "not 
  frequent" 
  and 
  mentions 
  a 
  flock 
  of 
  five 
  which 
  remained 
  

   on 
  Coney 
  island 
  beach 
  for 
  several 
  days. 
  Numerous 
  accounts 
  of 
  "White 
  

   cranes" 
  or 
  White 
  herons 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  seen 
  in 
  different 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  

   State 
  have 
  coine 
  to 
  my 
  notice, 
  and 
  undoubtedly 
  refer 
  to 
  this 
  species. 
  Besides 
  

   these 
  we 
  have 
  the 
  following 
  records 
  of 
  speciinens 
  taken 
  or 
  seen 
  by 
  reliable 
  

   observers 
  : 
  

  

  Auburn, 
  N. 
  Y. 
  (William 
  Hopkins). 
  Bost. 
  Soc. 
  Nat. 
  Hist. 
  Proc. 
  1856. 
  5: 
  13 
  

   Ossining, 
  N. 
  Y. 
  Early 
  Sept. 
  1870. 
  Fisher, 
  N. 
  O. 
  C. 
  Bui. 
  4:62; 
  Forest 
  and 
  Stream, 
  

   1 
  1 
  : 
  482 
  

  

  