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EGRETS. 
Our. next beautiful division of the Herons, is that 
of the Egrets, distinguished by a more slender 
form in every part, by the plumes on the back . 
being very long and disunited, and in the plumage 
being generally pure white, and always pale at 
one period, either in the complete or incomplete 
plumage. Some of the lesser species, where the 
colours and form vary, serve to connect them with 
the small bitterns. They breed on trees, sometimes 
at only a few feet from the ground, but in general 
at a high elevation, and, with few exceptions, in 
the vicinity of water. The species are numerous, 
and spread over the world, and are often so closely 
allied, that there is great difficulty in distinguish- 
ing them, consequently, our synonymes are both 
numerous and often erroneous. 
Egretta. — Generic characters . — Bill very slen- 
der, slightly bending at the tip ; gonys not 
ascending ; legs long ; inner toe shorter than 
the outer ; feathers of the breast, back, and 
scapulars, very long, and with the webs much 
disunited. 
Types, Arden alba, A. garzctta, luce, Bonap., &c. 
