166 
THE SHOWY HERON. 
Snowy Heron, Ardea candidissima, Wils. Amer. Orn., vol. vii. p. 120. 
Ardea candidissima, Bonap. Syn., p. 30o. 
Snowy Heron, Ardea candidissima , Nutt. Man., vol. ii. p. 49. 
Snowy Heron, Ardea candidissima , Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. iii. p. 317 ; vol. v. p. 606. 
Male 22J, 38. 
Resident from Texas to. Florida. Migrates in spring as far as Massa- 
chusetts. Breeds in all intermediate districts ; up the Mississippi to 
Memphis. Abundant. 
Adult Male in full spring plumage. 
Bill longer than the head, straight, compressed, tapering to a point, the 
mandibles nearly equal. Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly 
straight, the ridge broad and slightly convex at the base, narrowed towards 
the end, a groove from the base to two-thirds of its length, beneath which 
the sides are convex, the edges thin and sharp, with a slight notch close 
to the very acute tip. Nostrils basal, linear, longitudinal, with a mem- 
brane above and behind. Lower mandible with the angle extremely nar- 
row and elongated, the dorsal line beyond it ascending and almost straight, 
the edges sharp and slightly inflected, the tip acuminate. 
Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck very long and slender. 
Body slender and compressed. Feet very long; tibia elongated, its lower 
half bare, very slender, covered all round with angular scales, of which the 
posterior are scutelliform; tarsus elongated, slender, compressed, anteriorly 
covered with numerous scutella, laterally and behind with angular scales. 
Toes of moderate length, rather slender, scutcllate above, reticularly 
granulate beneath; third toe much longer than second, which is very little 
shorter than fourth, the hind toe much shorter but strong. Claws rather 
small, arched, compressed, acute, that of hind toe much larger, the inner 
edge of that of the third regularly pectinate. 
Space between the bill and eye, and around the latter, bare, as is the lower 
half of the tibia. Plumage soft and blended. Feathers of the upper and 
hind part of the head, very long, loose, decurved ; of the sides, and espe- 
cially of the lower part of the neck, also much elongated ; of the middle of 
the back very long, loose, and hanging over the sides and rump, but with 
their extremities recurved. Wings of moderate length; primaries tapering 
and rounded, the third longest, the second very little shorter, first and 
fourth about equal ; secondaries broad and rounded, some of the inner as 
long as the longest primaries, when the wing is closed. Tail very short, 
small, slightly rounded, of twelve rather weak feathers. 
Bill black, the bare space at its base yellow. Iris and edges of eyelids 
yellow. Tibia and tarsus black, the lower part of the latter behind and 
the toes bright yellow ; claws bluish-black. The plumage is pure white. 
