THE REDDISH EGRET. 145 



never goes far inland; returns to the Southern States as soon as the young 

 are able to travel. 



11. The Green Heron. Ar elect virescens. Resident in the Floridas; dis- 

 perses over the Union; goes far inland; the greater number return at the 

 approach of winter to the Southern States. 



12. The Least Bittern. Ardea exilis. Resident in the Floridas; mi- 

 grates as far as Maine, and throughout the Western Country, far up the 

 Missouri; returns early in autumn to the Southern States. 



You will see from the above statement, that the Herons are almost similar 

 to our Pigeons in respect to the extent of their migrations, which must 

 appear the more remarkable on account of their comparative size, Ardea 

 Herodias and A. virescens corresponding in a great degree to the Columbct 

 migratoria and C. carolinensis. 



Ardea rufescens, Grael. Syst. Nat., vol. i. p. 628. 



Peale's Egret Heron, Ardea Pealii, Bonap. Amer. Orn., vol. iv. p. 96. Young. 



Peale's Egret, Nutt. Man., vol. ii. p. 49. Young. 



Reddish Egret, Ardea rufescens, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. iii. p. 411; vol. v. p. 604. 



Male, 31, 46. 



Resident on the Florida Keys, and in Galveston Bay. Never seen inland. 

 Extremely abundant. 



Adult Male. 



Bill much longer than the head, straight, compressed, tapering, the man- 

 dibles nearly equal in size. Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly 

 straight, the ridge broad and convex at the base, afterwards very narrow, a 

 groove from the base to near the end, beneath which the sides are convex, 

 the edges thin and sharp, with a notch on each side close to the narrow but 

 obtuse tip. Nostrils basal, linear, longitudinal. Lower mandible with the 

 angle long and extremely narrow, the dorsal line beyond it ascending and 

 very slightly convex, the edges sharp and slightly inflected, the tip very 

 narrow but obtuse. 



Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck very long and slender. 

 Body slender and compressed. Feet very long; tibia elongated and slender, 

 its lower half bare, covered all round with angular scales; tarsus elongated, 

 slender, compressed, covered anteriorly with numerous large scutella, late- 

 rally and behind with angular scales. Toes of moderate length, rather 

 slender, scutella above, reticularly granulate beneath; third toe considerably 

 longer than the fourth, which is in nearly the same proportion longer than 

 the second, the first much shorter, but strong; claws rather small, strong, 

 arched, compressed, obtuse, that of hind toe much larger, the inner edge of 

 that of the third regularly pectinated. 



Vol. VI. 20 



