AEDEA. 159 



ARDEA. 

 Ardea, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 283 (1766) ; Sharpe, Cat. Birds Brit. Mus. xxvi. p. 66 (1898). 



In our arrangement of the Herons we prefer to follow the classification of the 

 American ornithologists, who group these birds and the Egrets under one comprehensive 

 genus Ardea, with a due recognition of the subgeneric divisions — Herodias, Florida, 

 Dicromanassa, Eydranassa, and Butorides, all of which are characterized as distinct 

 genera in the ' Catalogue of Birds ' by Dr. Bowdler Sharpe, who also separates Agamia 

 from the genus Ardea. 



The following sections or subgenera may be recognized : — 



a. Bare portion of tibio-tarsus equal to or exceeding the length of the inner toe 



and claw ; edge of mandibles distinctly serrated, with a faintly indicated 

 notch before the tip of the maxilla; no dorsal train; head crested with 

 ornamental plumes on the nape Ardea. 



b. Mandibles not serrated near the ends, the maxilla with a distinct sub-terminal 



notch ; biU long, but the culmen not exceeding the length of the middle toe 



and claw ; no crest-plumes, but a well-developed dorsal train Herodias. 



c. Bill as above, but with long crest- plumes and a dorsal train reaching beyond 



the tail ; on the breast elongated ornamental plumes. Young birds white . Florida. 



d. Bill long, the culmen exceeding the length of the middle toe and claw; tarsus 



longer than bill, twice the length of the outer toe and claw ; dorsal train 

 extending far beyond the tail ; nuchal crest and neck-friU composed of very 

 long lanceolate feathers like the ornamental plumes of the breast .... Dichromanassa. 



e. Bill as above; tarsus moderately long, not twice the length of the outer toe and 



claw ; a very dense dorsal train of decomposed feathers. Plumage white . Leucophoyx. 



f. BiU longer than tarsus, dorsal train extending beyond the tail ; nape crested 



and continued into the neck -frill ; nuchal crest-feathers very broad, as also 



the ornamental plumes of the fore-neck Hydranassa. 



g. Bare portion of the tibio-tarsus less than the length of the inner toe ; biU very 



long, and equal to the length of the tarsus and the middle toe and claw 

 combined Agamia. 



1. Ardea herodias*. 



Ardea herodias, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 237 ' ; Scl. & Salv. Ibis, 1859, p. 226 ' ; Cass. Pr. Acad. Philad. 

 1860, p. 196'; Lawr. Ann. Lye. N. Y. viii. p. 12*; ix. pp. 142% 210'; Mem. Bost. Soc. 

 N. H. ii. p. 310' ; Bull. U. S. Nat. Mus. no. 4, p. 48'; Salv. Ibis, 1865, p. 193'; Cat. 

 Strickl. Coll. p. 515"; Grayson, Pr. Bost. Soc. N. H. xiv. p. 285"; Duges, La Nat. i. 

 p. 142 " ; Erantz. J. f. Om. 1869, p. 376 " ; Sumichr. La Nat. v. p. 233 " ; Nutting, Pr. U. S. 

 Nat. Mus. vi. p. 379 '' ; Herrera, La Nat. (2) i. pp. 185 '=, 327 " ; Stone, Pr. Acad. Philad. 

 1890, p. 203"; Cherrie, Auk, 1892, p. 329" ; Richm. Pr. U. S. Nat. Mus. xvi. p. 527'°; 



* Mr. Frank M. Chapman has recently separated (April 1901) the Great Blue Heron of N.W. America as 

 Ardea herodias fannini. 



