130 NORTH AMERICAN BIRDS. 
ican species) soft, broad, and not lengthened; color always 
wholly pure white. (Subgenus Herodias Bots.) 
Length 37.00-41.00, wing 14.10-16.80, culmen 4.20.90, tar- 
sus 5.50-6.80. Hygs 2.28 x 1.60. Hab. Nearly the whole 
of America, north (casually at least) to British Provinces 
and Oregon, south to Chili and Patagonia. 
196. A. egretta Guut. American Egret. 
ce. Wing less than 11.00. 
@, Adult with occipital, jugular, and scapular plumes greatly devel- 
oped, with much decomposed webs; the scapular plumes ex- 
tending to or beyond the tail and recurved at tips; color 
always entirely pure white. (Subgenus Garzetta Kaur.) 
Length 20.00-27.25, wing 8.20-10.50, culmen 2.08-3.65, tarsus 
3.15-4.50. Eggs 1.68 x 1.34. Hab. Whole of tropical and 
warm-temperate America, north (more or less regularly) 
nearly across United States, and south to Chili and Argen- 
tine Republic.. 197. A. candidissima Gur.. Snowy Heron. 
@. Adult with scapular and jugular plumes elongated, narrowly lan- 
ceolate, compact-webbed ;? occipital plumes slender, only a few 
of them much elongated; color varying from uniform dark 
slate-blue, with maroon-colored head and neck, to wholly pure 
white. (Subgenus Florida Barrp.) 
Adult usually uniform dark slate-blue, with maroon-colored 
head and neck, but not unfrequently “pied” with white, 
or even almost wholly white, with bluish tips to longer 
quills. Young usually pure white, with longer quills 
tipped with slate-blue. Length 20.00-29.50, wing 9.00- 
10.60, culmen 2.70-3.30, tarsus 8.15-4.00. Eggs 1.73 xX 1.28. 
Hab. Whole of tropical and warm-temperate North Amer- 
ica (except western United States), north to Massachusetts, 
Illinois, Kansas, etc., south to Colombia and Guiana and 
throughout West Indies. 
200. A. czerulea Linn. Little Blue Heron. 
b. Tarsus twice as long as middle toe, without claw. 
Adult with feathers of head and neck (excepting throat and upper fore- 
neck) elongated and narrowly lanceolate, most lengthened on occi- 
put and lower fore-neck; scapular plumes much lengthened (ex- 
tending beyond end of tail), with shafts straight and stiffened, the 
webs decomposed, but with the hair-like fibrille rather close to- 
gether; color uniform, or else irregularly patched with white and 
slaty. (Subgenus Dichromanassa Ripaway.) 
c. Adult plain slate-color, the head and neck cinnamon- or vinaceous-rufous. 
Young plain grayish, tinged here and there with rusty. Length 
27.00-32.00, wing 11.90-13.60, culmen 3.30-4.00, tarsus 4.90-5.75. 
1 Some of the longer scapular plumes are sometimes loose-webbed. 
