ARDEID^ — THE HERONS. 124* 



Ardea egretta Gmel. 



THE AUEBICAN E6KET. 



Popular synomyms. Great White Egret; White "Crane;" Garza blanoa grande (Mexico). 



La Grande Aigrette d'A merique Buff. PI. Enl. 1770-86, pi. 925. 



Oreat White Heron Lath. Synop. Hi, 1786, 91. 



Great Egret Lath. t. o. 89 (based on PI. Enl. 925). 



Ardea egretta Gmel. S. N. i, 1788, 629. No. SI (based on PI. Enl. 925, and Lath. t. o.),— Wiis 



Am. Orn. vii, 1813, 106, pi. 61, flg. 4.— Nutt. Man. It, 1834, 47.— AuD. Orn. Bios, iv, 



1838, 600, pi. 386; Synop. 1839, 265; B. Am. vi, 1843, 132, pi. 370.— CouES, Key, 1872, 267; 



Check List, 1873, No. 452; Birds N. W. 1874,519.-A. 0. U. Check List, 1886. No. 196.- 



EiDGW. Man. N. Am. B. 1887, ISO. 

 Eerodias egretta Geat, Gen. B. lii, 1849.— Bated, B. N. Am. 1858. 666; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, 



No. 486.— BiDGT. Orn. 40th par. 1877, .— B. B. & B. Water B. N. Am. i, 188i, 23.— 



CouBS. Check List, ed. 2, 1882, No. 658. 

 Herodias alba.yax. egretta.'&nsorw . Ann. Lyo. N. Y. Jan. 1874,386. 

 Berodlas alba egrettd, ElDGW. Bull. Essex Inst. Oct. 1874, 171; Norn. N. km. B. 1881 , No. 489. 

 Berodias eoretta. var. calif orrtioa Baies, B. N. Am. 1858, 607; Cat. N. Ainl B. 1859, No. 486 a. 

 Ardea levee "Illigee," Lioht. Terz. Doubl. 1823. No. 793. 

 4rdea alba, subspeo. galatea, Ekiohenow, J. I. 0. 1877, 272. 



Hab. The whole of temperate and tropical America, from Nova Scotia, Ontario, 

 Minnesota, and Oregon, to Patagonia; throughout the West Indies. 



Sp. Chae. Length, about 37.00-39.00; extent, about 55.00-57.00; wing, 14.10-16.80; tail, 

 5.60-7.30; culmen, 4.20-4.90; depth of bill, .70-80; tarsus, 5.-60-6.80; middle toe, 3.50-4.30; naked 

 portion of tibia, 3.50-4.50; weight, about 2Ji lbs. Color entirely pure white at all seasons 

 and at all ages. Bill and lores rich chrome-yellow (the latter sometimes tinged with light 

 green), the culmen usually black near the tip, sometimes nearly the entire maxilla black; 

 iris naples-yellow; legs and feet entirely deep black. 



Having specimens before us from all parts of its range, M'e 

 are unable to detect in this spe"cies any variations of a geograph- 

 ical nature. The chief difference between individuals consists in 

 the amount of black on the maxilla, this being sometimes al- 

 most nil, while again the maxilla may be entirely black. That 

 this variation has no relation to season is shown by the fact 

 that in a considerable series shot from one "rookery" in Florida, 

 and all bearing the nuptial train, the' extremes are presented by 

 different individuals, others being variously intermediate. 



The Great White Egret is either a summer resident or visitant 

 in almost every portion of the State. While no doubt breeding 

 in many localities it usually occurs as a visitor late in summer, 

 in August and September, when it may be seen, either -singly or 

 in small groups, sometimes in large numbers, -wading, about in 

 shoal places in the rivers or ponds. Professor Forbes informs 

 me that it is abundant all summer on the Illinois Eiver as far 

 north as Peoria; but be does not state whether it is kn6wn tq 

 'breed there. 



