122 



SNOWY HERON 



webbed feathers, nearly four inches in length ; another tuft of the 

 same covers the breast; but the most distinguished ornament of 

 this bird is a bunch of long silky plumes, proceeding from the 

 shoulders, covering the whole back, and extending beyond the tail, 

 the shafts of these are six or seven inches long, extremely elastic, 

 tapering to the extremities, and thinly set with long slender bend- 

 ing threads or fibres, easily agitated by the slightest motion of the 

 air; these shafts curl upwards at the ends. When the bird is irri- 

 tated, and erects those airy plumes, they have a very elegant ap- 

 pearance: the legs and naked part of the thighs are black; the 

 feet bright yellow; claws black, the middle one pectinated. 



The female can scarcely be distinguished by her plumage, 

 having not only the crest, but all the ornaments of the male, tho 

 not quite so long and flowing. 



The young birds of the first season are entirely destitute of 

 the long plumes of the breast and back; but, as all those that have 

 been examined in spring are found crested and ornamented as 

 above, they doubtless receive their full dress on the first moulting. 

 Those shot in October measured twenty -two inches in length, by 

 thirty-four in extent; the crest was beginning to form; the legs 

 yellowish green, daubed with black ; the feet greenish yellow ; the 

 lower mandible white at the base; the wings, when shut, nearly 

 of a length with the tail, which is even at the end. 



The Little Egret, or European species, is said by Latham and 

 Turton to be nearly a foot in length; Bewick observes, that it 

 rarely exceeds a foot and a half ; has a much shorter crest, with 

 two long feathers; the feet are black; and the long plumage of the 

 back, instead of turning up at the extremity, falls over the rump. 



The young of both these birds are generally very fat, and es- 

 teemed by some people as excellent eating. 



