Genus— H E E 0 D I A S . 
Herodias Boie, Isis 1822, p. 559 Type H. egretta. 
Casmerodius Gloger, Hand. u. Hilfsb., p. 412, 1842 . . Type H. egretta. 
Ardeine birds resembling Egretta and Mesophoyx in coloration, but with 
no crest-plumes nor ornamental breast-feathers in breeding-plumage. The 
species are of much larger size. The culmen is very long and proportionately 
stout, noticeably less than the length of the tail or metatarsus. The wing 
has the first three primaries subequal and longest. 
The tail is more than one-third the length of the wing, and though 
constantly longer than the culmen, is often exceeded by the metatarsus. 
The legs are very long and so is the exposed tibia ; the metatarsus is 
always more than one-third the length of the wing, and is sometimes almost 
half its length. 
The toes and webbing as in the preceding genera. 
I have pointed out that this genus is easily separated from the two 
preceding genera by its much larger size. The absolute measurements are 
quite sufficient to accurately determine this genus as any bird having a 
bill over 100 mm., a wing over 320 mm., and a metatarsus over 120 mm., 
would be unable to be placed elsewhere. 
In Mesophoyx and Herodias, as well as in Egretta, the frontal covering 
of the metatarsus in adult specimens is regularly scuteUate. 
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