92 



CICONIIFORMES 



South America is metallic green, with rufous and white throat, 

 rufous belly, black cheeks and nape ; the very long occipital and 

 dorsal plumes being grey, as is the fore-neck, and the recurved 



feathers of the sides 

 (jf the neck reddish. 

 A. (Garzettco) garzdta, 

 the " Little Egret," 

 which has strayed to 

 }>ritaiu, and extends 

 from South Europe to 

 the whole of Africa, 

 India, and Japan, is 

 entirely white, with 

 long filamentous 

 scapular and moderate 

 jugular plumes and 

 two lengthened crest- 

 feathers, all of which 

 are said to be tem- 

 porarily lost after 

 breeding. A. nir/ripes, 

 ranging from Java to 

 Australia, is barely 

 distinguishable, but 

 the American repre- 

 sentative, A. cancli- 

 dissima, has a large 

 occipital tuft. A. 

 {Herodias) alba, the 

 " Great White Heron," 

 another of our rare 

 visitors, extends from the middle of Europe to most of Africa, 

 Central Asia, and the Burmese countries, beyond which a doubt- 

 fully distinct species, with yellower bill, reaches Austriilia and Xew 

 Zealand ; the American A. eyretta, however, differs in its black 

 legs. The breeding adult is white, with ^ery long decomposed 

 scapular and lengthened jugular plumes, but no crest. The most 

 typical forms of Ardef/, are large slaty-coloured birds, varied by 

 Ijlack, rufous, and white, the head being commonly darker and 

 the lower parts striped ; while two slender occipital plumes are, 



Pig. 26. — Coumioii Herou. Anlea cinerea. 



