ARDEIDJE — THE HERONS — HERODIAS. 
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Hasselq., of Java, India, Japan, New South Wales, and Tasmania ; (4) H. timorensis, Cuv., of 
Timor ; and (5) H. brevipes, Verr. & Desm., from New Caledonia. To which of these the fourth 
species of the following synopsis belongs, I am at present unable to determine. 
Synopsis of Species. 
A. Jugular plumes slightly lengthened, with broad and undecomposed webs. 
a. With light-colored legs and feet, and the bill usually principally dusky. 
1. H. alba. 1 Plumes of the train reaching to only about 2-3 inches beyond the tail ; bill 
chiefly dusky in the breeding plumage ; legs and feet chiefly light flesh-colored, with the 
larger scutellse more brownish. Wing, 16.00-18.30 ; culmen, 4.75-6 00 ; tarsus, 6.50- 
7.90 ; middle toe, 3.60-4.60. Hab. Europe and other parts of Old World. 
b. With deep black legs and feet, the bill usually mostly yellow. 
2. H. syrmatophorus. 2 With a short train, like II. alba, but bill wholly yellow, and the 
legs and feet deep black (except tibiae, which are pale dull yellow), as in II. egretta. Wing, 
14.50 ; culmen, 4.50 ; tarsus, 6.25 ; middle toe, 3.65. Hab. Australia. 
3. H. egretta. Bill usually chiefly yellow, with more or less of the terminal portion black ; 
sometimes, however, with the man ilia wholly black or entirely yellow ; tibiae black. 
Train extending usually 6 inches or more beyond the tail. Wing, 14.10-16.80 ; culmen, 
4.20-4.90 ; tarsus, 5.50-6.80 ; middle toe, 3.50-4.30. Hab. Warmer parts of America. 
B. Jugular plumes similar to those of the dorsal train, only smaller. 
4. H. plumiferus. 3 Bill with about the terminal half of both mandibles black, the basal 
portion pale-colored (yellow in life ?) ; legs and feet deep black. Wing, 12.50 ; culmen, 
3.10; tarsus, 4.80; middle toe, 3. Hab. China (No. 85747 U. S. Nat. Mus. ; $ ad., 
Woo Sung, China, May 23, 1881 ; Shanghai Museum) ; Australia (Gould). 
-f Herodias egretta. w 
THE AMERICAN EGRET. 
La Grande Aigrette d’Amerique, Buff. Id. Enl. 1770-86, pi. 925. 
Great White Heron, Lath. Synop. III. 1785, 91. 
Great Egret, Lath. t. c. 89 (based on PI. Enl. 925). 
Ardea egretta, Gmel. S. N. I. 1788, 629, no. 34 (based on PI. Enl. 925, and Lath., 1. c.). — Wils. 
Am. Orn. VII. 1813, IOC, pi. 61, fig. 4. — Nutt. Man. II. 1834, 47. — Aun. Orn. Biog. 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. 
Herodias egretta,, Gray, Gen. B. III. 1849. — Baird, B. N. Am. 1858, 666 ; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, 
no. 486. — Coues, Check List, ed. 2, 1882, no. 658. 
Herodias alba, var. egretta, IIidgw. Am. Lyc. N. Y. Jan. 1874, 386. 
Herodias alba egretta, Ridgw. Bull. Essex Inst. Oct. 1874, 171 ; Norn. N. Am. B. 1881, no. 489. 
1 Herodias alba, Linn. European Egret. 
Ardea alba, Linn. S. N. ed. 10, I. 1758, 144 ; ed. 12, I. 1766, 239. 
Herodias alba. Auct. 
Ardea egrcttoicles, S. G. Gmel. Reise, II. 193, pi. 24. 
Erodius Victoria:, Macgill. Man. N. H. Orn. II. 131. 
Herodias Candida, Brehm, Vog. Deutschl. 584. 
2 Herodias syrmatophorus, Gould. Australian Egret. 
Herodias syrmatophorus, Gould, B. Austr. VI. 1848, pi. 56. 
It is somewhat doubtful whether this bird can he separated from II. egretta. A Floridian specimen of 
the latter is in all respects identical, except as to size, the measurements being, wing, 15.50 ; culmen, 4.50 ; 
tarsus, 6.00 ; and middle toe, 3.85, — certainly not as great a difference as occurs between specimens of 
either II. alba or H. egretta. 
3 Herodias plumiferus, Gould. Plumed Egret. 
Herodias plumiferus, Gould, P. Z. S. 1847, 221 ; B. Austr. VI. 1848, pi. 57. 
