4^4 'Thz Hijlory 5/ ANIMALS. 
Ardea nivea crifta brevi fuhereEta. 
*The fnow-white Ardea ., with a port and fomewhat erect creft * 
This is an extreamly elegant bird, and is one of the lead of this genus j when it 
ftands eredt, it is not more than a foot and half high, and it’s body is not larger than 
that of a fmall pullet; the head is fmall, of an oblong figure, and rounded at the top 
not at all comprefted, as it is in fome fpecies: the eyes are fmall, and their iris is of 
pale yellow ; their afpedt not fo bright and piercing as in many others of this genus: 
the beak is about three inches and a half long, very large at the bafe, and fharp at the 
point, and is throughout black. 
There is a green fpace naked about the eyes; and the bafe of the beak, efpecially 
on the under part, has fomewhat of a greenifh about it: the whole bird is’of a beau¬ 
tiful fnow-white, and there grows on the hinder part of the head a creft, but it is 
compofed of fhorter feathers than that of our common heron, and does not droop fo 
much, but often appears in a fuberedt pofture, efpecially when the bird is alarmed 
at any thing. \ 
The wings are moderately large and long, and their principal feathers are of a 
blighter white than that of any other part of the body : the barrels of the quills in 
tnefe are very thick, in proportion to the length of the plumage, and are greatly ef~ 
teemed for making pens: the tail is fhort ; when the wings are clofed, it does not 
appear, for the tips of the wings reach to it’s extremity j it is of a fine bright white, 
but not fo lucid as the wings. 
The legs are long and flender, and are properly of a deep green colour, but they 
are oiten covered with a kind of loole fkin of a black colour: the toes are long, and 
the claw of the middle one is denticulated : the feathers which fall down on each fide 
of the body of this bird from the fhoulders are long, narrow, and of a very elegant 
figure, and fnow-white colour j they are fold at a confiderable price in Italy, and are 
even carried to the Turks dominions, for the ornamenting of hats, and other parts of 
drefs. 
This elegant fpecies is frequent about Venice, and in fome parts of Italy, but it is 
not feen in the northern parts of Europe. Moft of thofe who have written on birds 
have defcribed it. Gefner and Aldrovand call it Ardea alba minor five Gazetta; 
Bellonius, Aigretta Gallorum • Willughby and Ray call it Ardea alba minor Venetiis, 
Gaza Giovanne, fed falfo. 
Ardea caftanea capite flavo et nigro variegato. 
The brown Ardea , with the head variegated Cl ttf£* 
with black and yellow, 
* r ' v 4 , 
This fpecies is extreamly different in colour from the generality of the Ardeas, but 
it’s form is almoft exactly the fame with that of the common heron ; when it ftands 
eredt, it is about fixteen inches high ; it’s body is of the bignefs of a fmall pullet, and 
it’s general colour is brown : the head is fmall, and a little depreffed on the crown : 
the eyes are fmall, and their iris is of a pale yellow, approaching to that we exprefs by 
the term lemon colour : the beak is very long and robuft ; it is toward the bafe of a 
bluifh-green, but toward the point of a deep black ; one half of the beak is of one 
thefe colours, and the other half of the other. 
The ground colour of the head is a bright and elegant chefnut-brown, but it is 
variegated with black, and with gold-yellow; thefe colours run in a mixed manner 
down the back part of the head, and the top of the neck, and form the appearance 
of a creft : the back, fhoulders, and rump, and alfo the upper part of the wings, are 
all of a deep but very glofly brown : the bread and belly are of the fame colour, only 
paler, 
