AEDEA EGEETTA, GREAT WHITE EGRET. 519 



some two feet in diameter and about one-third as high. Two or three 

 eggs are laid, probably never more; they measure about 2.50 by 1.50, 

 and are rather narrowly elliptical, with both ends of about the same 

 shape ; the color is a pale, dull, greenish-blue, varying in shade in dif- 

 ferent specimens, but always uniform over the same egg. 



I have not observed the breeding of the Heron in the Missouri region, 

 but have noticed the bird high up the river as late as the end of October. 



ARDEA EGEETTA, (Gm.) Gray. 



Great White Egret; White Heron. 



Ardea egre.tta, GM.,Svst. Nat. i, 1788, 629.— Lath., Iiicl. Orn. ii, 1790, 694.— WiLS., Am. 

 Orn. vii, 1813, 106, pi. 61, f. 4.— Nutt., Mau. ii, 1834, 47.— AuD., Orn. Biog. iv, 

 1838,600, pi. 386; Syn. 1839, 26.''); B. Am. vi, 1843, 132, pi. 370.— Woodh., Sitgr. 

 Rep. 1853, 97 (Texas and Indi.an Territory).— Putn., Pr. Ess. Inst.i, 1856, 218 

 (Massacliusetts, very rare).— Tujjkb., B. E. Pa. 1869, 27 (rather rare). — CouES, 

 Key, 1872, 267. 



Serodias egrelta, Ghay, Gen. of B. iii, 1849.— Bd., B. N. A. 1858, 666.— Wheat., Ohio 

 Agric. Rep. 1860, No. 184 (not very uncommon).— CouES & Pijknt., Smiths. 

 Rep. 1861, 415 (Washington, occasional). — AIJ.EN, Pr. Ess. Inst, iv, 1864, 86 

 (Boston).— CouES, ihid. v, 1868, 290 (New England, to Massachusetts).— McIlwr., 

 ibid. V. 1866, 91 (Hamilton, C. W. ; rare).- Dress., Ibis, 1866, 31 (Texas).- Lawk., 

 Ann. Lye. N. Y. viii, 1866, 292 (New York).— Codes, Pr. Bost. Soc. xii, 1868, 123 

 (South Carolina, summer, common). — CouES, Pr. Phila. Acad. 1866, 95 (Colo- 

 rado River, common) ; ihid. 1871, 33 (North Carolina, common). — M.\YN., Guide, . 

 1870, 143 (Massachusetts, casual). — Jones, Trans. Nova Scotia Inst, ii, 1868, 72 

 (Nova Scotia). — Allen, Am. Nat. iii, 1870, 637 (Massachusetts). — Allen, Bull. 

 M. C. Z. ii, 1871, 358 (Florida, .abundant, breeding).— Snow, B. Kans. 1873, 9 

 (Kansas, one instance). — Hatch, Bull. Minnesota Acad, i, 1874, 62 (Minnesota). 



Herodias alba var. egretia, Ridgway, Ann. Lye. N. Y. x, 1874, 386 (Illiuois). 



Serodias egrrttu var. californica, Baird, B. N. A. 1856, 667 (larger). 



Ardea letice, Illiger. — Lichtenstein, Verz. 1823, No. 793. 



JEgrefta Uuee, Bonaparte, List, 1838, 47 ; Consp. ii, 1855, 114. 



Herodias ?('hcp, Brehm, Hand-buch, 1831, 585. 



Ardea alba, Bonaparte, Obs. Wils. 1825, No. 189 ; Syn. 1828, 304 (not of lAnnceu,^). 



Ardea " occideutalis" Nbwb., P. R. R. Rep. vi, 1857, 27 (California). (Not of Audubofii). 



Extralimital quotations. — Gusdl., J. f. O. iv, 1856, 341 (Cuba).— Bry., Pp. Bost. Soc. 

 vii, 1859 (Bahamas).- SCL., P. Z. S. 1861, 80 (Jamaica).— ScL., P. Z. S. 1860, 253 (Ori- 

 zaba); 290 (Ecuador).— ScL. & Salv., P. Z. S. 1866, 199 (Peru); 1867, 334 (Chili); 1869, 

 156 (Peru); 1873, 305 (Peru).— ScL., Ibis, 1859, 226 (Central America).— Taylor, Ibis, 

 1860, 312 (Tigre Island, Honduras). — Lawr., Ann. Lye. viii, 63 (Panama) ; ix. 142 (Costa 

 Rica). — Pelz., Orn. Bras. 300 (resident). — Phll., Cat. 33 (Chili). — Darw., Voy. Beagle, 

 128 (Maldonado and Patagonia). 



Sab. — tjuited States, southerly, straggling northward to Nova Scotia (Jones), Massa- 

 chusetts, Canada West, and Minnesota. West Indies ; Mexico ; Central and S. America. 

 Not obtained by any of the Expeditions. 



The only instance of the occurrence of this species in the Missouri 

 region which has come to my knowledge is that of a specimen taken at 

 Lawrence, Kansas, August 15, 1872, as stated by Prof. Snow. It must 

 be, however, of at least occasional occurrence on the Lower Missouri. 



This fine bird may be immediately recognized by its color — pure white 

 at all seasons, with yellow bill and black legs, with its large size — about 

 three feet in length. The head is not adorned with a crest, but in the 

 breeding season the back has a magnificent train drooping beyond the 

 tail. The Little White Egret is much smaller, only about two feet long, 

 and has a recurved crest, lengthened breast-feathers, and a recurved 

 train, in the breeding season. An erroneous impression prevails that 

 an "Egret" is something different from a Heron; but all Egrets are 

 Herons, although all Herons are not Egrets. It is a term applied to 

 certain Herons, especially white ones, that have long plumes (aigrettes); 

 but the distinction is entirely arbitrary. The Eeddish Egret, for in- 



