

ARDEID^, HERONS. GEN. 228-34. ' 267 



is very great ; and it has even been noted that a specimen may have one leg larger 

 than the otlier, and the toes of one foot longer than those of tlie other — a circum- 

 stance perhaps resulting from the common habit of these birds, of standing for a 

 long time on one lea;. 



228-34. Genus ARDEA Linnseus. 



* Species of large size, and varied dark colors. (Ardea.) 

 I (^ 7 Great Blue Heron. Back without peculiar plumes at any season, but ' 

 scapulars lengthened and lanceolate ; an occipital crest, two feathers of which 

 are long and filamentous ; long loose feathers on the lower neck. Length 

 about 4 feet; extent 6; bill 5J inches; tarsus 6J ; middle toe and claw 5; 

 wing 18-20; tail 7. $ much smaller than $. Adult of botli sexes grayish- 

 blue above, the neck pale purplish-brown with a white throat-line, the head 

 black with a white frontal patch, the uuder parts mostly black, streaked 

 with white ; tibite, edge of wing, and some of the lower neck feathers, 

 orange-brown ; bill and eyes yellow, culmen dusky, lores and legs greenish. 

 The young differ considerably, Ijut are never white, and cannot be confounded 

 with any of the succeeding. Entire temperate North America, abundant ; 

 migratory in northerly portions. Wils., viii, 68, pi. 65; Nutt., ii, 42; 



AuD., vi, 122, pi. 369; Bd., 668 heeodias. 



Florida Heron. Similar; larger; bill6J; tarsus 8 or more ; tibiae bare 

 // 5 nearly J their length; middle toe not | the tarsus; l)elow, white, the sides 

 streaked Avith black ; neck ashy ; head, with the crest, white, the forehead 

 streaked with black. Southern Florida (^Wardemann) . Bd., 669. It 

 seems improbable that this is anything more than a special state of the last 

 species, but as it is useless to exchange one doubtful opinion for another, 

 I retain it, pending final determination avuedemannii. 



** Species (large or small) white at all times. {Audubonia, Herodias and 

 Garzetta.) 



U t" ^ Great While Heron. Size and form nearly as in tfie foregoing ; no greatly 

 elongated occipital feathers nor lengthened scapulars ; bill 6J ; tarsus 8J- ; 

 tibite bare 6. Color entirely pure white ; bill and eyes yellow ; culmen 

 greenish at base ; lores bluish ; legs yellow, greenish in front. Southern 

 Florida. Aud., vi, 110, pi. 368 ; Nutt., ii, 39 ; Bd., 670. occidentalis. 



J . y '2^- Great White Egret. White Heron. No obviously lengthened feathers 

 on the head at any time ; in the breeding season, back with very long 

 plumes of decomposed feathers drooping far beyond the tail ; neck closely 

 feathered; plumage entirely white at all seasons; bill, lores and eyes, 

 yellow; legs and feet black. Length 36-42 (not including the dorsal 

 train) ; wing 16-17 ; bill nearly 5 ; tarsus nearly 6 ; rather larger speci- 

 mens constitute var. californica Bd., 667. Distribution the same as that 

 of the snowy heron; abundant. Wils., vii, 106, pi. 61, f. 4; Nutt., ii, 



47; Aud., vi, 132, pi. 370; Bd., 666 egretta. 



n ^"J Little White Egret. Snoivij Heron. Adult with a long occipital crest of 



