662 
U. S. P. K. E. EXP. AND SURVEYS — ZOOLOGY — GENERAL REPORT. 
the angle of the same ; hoth culmen and gonys quite convex towards the end. Legs lengthened ; 
the tibia bare for about half its length ; the middle toe short, about three-fifths the tarsus ; the 
outer lateral toe about one-half. The middle anterior claw short, stout, and blunt ; the pectination 
reduced to a few obsolete notches. Occiput with a crest of long lanceolate firm feathers, shorter 
than the bill, and similar shaped ones on the whole neck, much elongated on the lower part of 
the throat ; the pennules lax and free only at the base of the feathers. Back with longfastigiate, 
nearly straight, plumes, with the fibrillae elongated and distant, reaching the length of the 
tail beyond it. 
Color pure white. Bill flesh-colored, the terminal half abruptly black. Legs black in the 
dried specimen ; said to be dark olive green in life ; the soles greenish yellow. 
List of specimens, 
Catalogue number. 
Sex and age. 
Locality. 
Whence obtained. 
2721 
1988 
Florida 
S. F. Baird 
do 
do 
\ 
DEMIEGRETTA RUFA, Baird. 
Reddish Egret. 
Ardea rufa, Boddaert, Tab!. PI. Enl. 1764. 
Ardea rufescens, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 628.— Latham, Ind. Orn. II, 1790, 694 .— Wagler, Syst. Av. 1827; 
Ardea No. 13.— Aud. Orn. Biog. Ill, 1835, 41] : V, 604 ; pi. 256.— Id. Syn. 1839.— Ib. Birds 
Amer. VI, 1843, 139 ; pi. 371. 
Egrctta rufescens, Bonap. List, 1838. 
Herodias rufescens, Bonap. Conspectus, II, 1855, 125. — Gundlach, Caban. Jour. IV, 1856, 341. 
Aigrette reusse, Buffon, Ois. VIII, 378.— PI. Enl. 902. 
Reddish Egret, Pennant, II, 447. 
Sp. Ch. — Body grayish blue ; paler beneath. Head and neck all round uniform reddish brown, or rufous chestnut, without 
white on the throat. Bill black on the terminal third . \oung similar, but duller. Length, about 30 inches ; wing, 12.50 ; 
tarsus, 5.72 ; bill above, 3.50. 
Hah. — Coast of South Florida and Gulf of Mexico to mouth of Rio Grande. Cuba, Gundlach. 
Middle toe about two-fifths the tarsus ; outer lateral toe more than half the tarsus ; inner, 
about half this length. Tibia bare for about one-half. Pectinations quite distinct. Bill com- 
pressed ; the outlines excavated, but becoming considerably convex at the tip. General external 
form that of H. pealeii. 
" Bill black on its terminal third ; the rest, and the bare space on the head, pale flesh color. 
Iris white. Legs and feet ultramarine blue ; the scutellae brownish black, as are the claws. 
Feathers of the head and neck all round light reddish brown, tinged with lilac, the tips fading 
into brownish white. Bacs: and wings dull grayish blue, the long feathers of the train yellowish 
towards the tips ; all the lower parts grayish blue, paler than that of the upper." — Audubon. 
Without an adult of this species before me, I copy the description of its colors from Mr. 
Audubon. A young bird has the plumage generally plumbeous gray ; the coverts, the throat, 
and the head tinged with reddish ; the back slightly glossed with the same. There is only a 
rudimentary occipital crest, and no dorsal one whatever. The differences iu color from the adult 
