NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL PARK. 139 



years the Zoological Park has secured only three specimens, 

 all of which came from southern Florida. 



The Little Blue Heron, (Florida caerulea). — The imma- 

 ture birds of this species are snowy white, and so closely 

 resemble snowy herons of the same age, that only one well 

 acquainted with both can distinguish between them. They 

 are, however, separately recognized by the fact that the 

 snowy heron has black legs, and a black bill, whereas the 

 legs and bill of the Little Blue Heron are pale yellow. This 

 species is still common in some parts of its Florida home, 

 and occasionally a specimen strays as far north as Staten 

 Island. 



The Louisiana Heron (Hydranassa tricolor ruficollis), once 

 very numerous in Florida, is still found there, but in greatly 

 reduced numbers. It ranges from Central America and the 

 "West Indies northward to the Gulf States, and occasionally 

 to Long Island. The general coloring is dark blue, but a 

 prominent distinguishing character is the chestnut brown 

 on the sides of the neck. 



The Black-Crowned Night Heron, (Nycticora.v nycticorax 

 naevius), is one of the commonest herons about New York 

 City and occasionally nests in the Park itself. It breeds in 

 large colonies, and feeds chiefly at night. Its note is a 

 hoarse quok, very much like the bark of a dog. 



The Snowy Heron, or Snowy Egret, (Egretta candidis- 

 sima), when fully adult, is the most beautiful white bird in 

 all the avian world. Its form is the embodiment of sym- 

 metry and grace, its plumage is immaculate, and the filmy 

 "plumes" on its head and back are like spun glass. Its 

 black legs and bill merely serve to intensify the whiteness 

 of its feathers. The vanity of woman has been the curse of 

 the Snowy Egret. Its plumes are finest during the breeding 

 season, and it was then that the hunters sought them, 

 slaughtering the old birds in the rookeries by thousands 

 (when they were abundant), and leaving the nestlings to 

 die of starvation. If all women could know the price in 

 blood and suffering which is paid for the accursed "aig- 

 rettes" of fashion, surely but few could find any pleasure 

 in wearing them. It is strange that civilized woman — the 

 tender-hearted, the philanthropic, and the ever-compassion- 

 ate — should prove to be the evil genius of the world's most 

 beautiful birds. 



In the United States the Snowy Egret now exists only by 

 accident, and the "plume hunters" are pursuing this and 



