166 THE SNOWY HERON. 



Snowy Heron, Ardea candidissima, Wils. Amer. Orn., vol. vii. p. 120. 



Ardea candidissima, Bonap. Syn., p. 305. 



Snowy Heron, Ardea candidissima, Nutt. Man., vol. ii. p. 49. 



Snowy Heron, Ardea candidissima, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. iii. p. 317; vol. v. p. 606. 



Male, 22i, 33. 



Resident from Texas to Florida. Migrates in spring as far as Massa- 

 chusetts. Breeds in all intermediate districts; up the Mississippi to Mem- 

 phis. Abundant. 



Adult Male in full spring plumage. 



Bill longer than the head, straight, compressed, tapering to a point, the 

 mandibles nearly equal. Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight, 

 the ridge broad and slightly convex at the base, narrowed towards the end, 

 a groove from the base to two-thirds of its length, beneath which the sides 

 are convex, the edges thin and sharp, with a slight notch close to the very 

 acute tip. Nostrils basal, linear, longitudinal, with a membrane above and 

 behind. Lower mandible with the angle extremely narrow and elongated, 

 the dorsal line beyond it ascending and almost straight, the edges sharp and 

 slightly inflected, the tip acuminate. 



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

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

 half bare, very slender, covered all round with angular scales, of which the 

 posterior are scutelliform; tarsus elongated, slender, compressed, anteriorly 

 covered with numerous scutella, laterally and behind with angular scales. 

 Toes of moderate length, rather slender, scutellate above, reticularly granu- 

 late beneath; third toe much longer than second, which is very little shorter 

 than fourth, the hind toe much shorter but strong. Claws rather small, 

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

 that of the third regularly pectinate. 



Space between the bill and eye, and around the latter, bare, as is the lower 

 half of the tibia. Plumage soft and blended. Feathers of the upper and 

 hind part of the head, very long, loose, decurved; of the sides, and espe- 

 cially of the lower part of the neck, also much elongated; of the middle of 

 the back very long, loose, and hanging over the sides and rump, but with 

 their extremities recurved. Wings of moderate length; primaries tapering 

 and rounded, the third longest, the second very little shorter, first and fourth 

 about equal; secondaries broad and rounded, some of the inner as long as 

 the longest primaries, when the wing is closed. Tail very short, small, 

 slightly rounded, of twelve rather weak feathers. 



Bill black, the bare space at its base yellow. Iris and edges of eyelids 

 yellow. Tibia and tarsus black, the lower part of the latter behind and the 

 toes bright yellow; claws bluish-black. The plumage is pure white. 



