BIRDS—ARDEIDAE—GARZETTA CANDIDISSIMA. 
665 
GARZETTA CANDIDISSIMA, Bo nap. 
Snowy Heron. 
Ardea nivea, Jacquin, Beit. 1784, 18. NotofS. G. Gmelin of prior date, and same genus.— Latham, Ind. 11,1790, 
696, (in part.)— Licht. Verz. 1823, No. 795. 
JIrdea candidissima, Gmelin, Syst. Nat. I, 1788, 633.— Wilson, Am. Orn. VII, 1813, 120; pi. 62. Bon. Obs. 
Wils. 1825, No. 194.— Ib. Syn. 1828, 305.— Wagler, Syst. Av. 1827, JIrdea, No. 11.—Nutt. 
Man. II, 1834, 49.—Aud. Orn. Biog. Ill, 1835, 317 : V, 1839, 606 ; pi. 242.— Ib. Syn. 269.— 
1b. Birds Amer. VI, 1843, 163. 
Egretta candidissima, Bonap. List, 1838.— Gosse, Birds Jam. 1847, 336. 
Herodias candidissima, Gray, Genera.— Gundlach, Cab. Jour. IV, 1856, 342. 
Garzetta candidissima, Bonap. Consp. 1855, 119. 
Ardea carolinensis, Ord. ed. Wilson, VII, 1825, 125. 
Snowy heron, Latham. 
Sp. Ch.— Occiput much crested. Dorsal plumes reaching to tho end of the tail. Colors pure white. Bill black ; the 
base yellow. Legs black. Length, 24 ; wing, 10.20 ; tarsus, 3.80 ; bill above, 3.15. 
Hab. —Coast of Middle and Gulf States, and across to California. 
Bill compressed ; culmen slightly concave in the basal two-thirds ; terminally more convex 
than the gonys. Middle toe, three-fourths the tarsus. Tibia hare for nearly one-half. Occiput 
with a full crest of loosely fibred feathers as long as the hill; the feathers on the lower part of 
the throat somewhat similar. The middle of the hack with a series of plumes, with the fibrillae 
distant and lengthened ; the plumes recurved at tip, where the fibrillae of opposite sides are 
horizontal, hut approximated together in a vertical plane. They reach nearly to the tip of the 
tail, sometimes beyond it. 
Bill black, yellow at the base, including the loral region and around the eye, as also a larger 
basal portion of the lower mandible. Leg black ; the lower part of the tarsus behind and the 
toes yellow. Color of plumage throughout pure white. 
A specimen from California, 9469, has the occipital crest much elongated, considerably 
longer than the hill ; the other plumes also more developed. 
This species differs from the Garzetta egretta , Bon., of the Old World, in having the hill shorter 
than the tarsus, instead of equal. The crest in egretta is much smaller and less developed. 
Most authors quote Jacquin for the name candidissima of this species. A reference to this 
work shows, however, that he used the word nivea , already pre-occupied for the Ardea garzetta. 
List of specimens. 
Catal. 
No. 
Sex. 
Locality. 
When col¬ 
lected. 
Whence ob¬ 
tained. 
Orig’l 
No. 
Collected by— 
Length. 
Stretch 
ofwings. 
Wing. 
Remarks. 
1226 
s. F. Baird. 
4275 
1854. 
4276 
4274 
8067 
Feb. 18,1837 
John Gould.,,. 
4145 
s 
Cadereita, Mex .... 
April, 1853... 
D. N. Couch ... 
136 
27.25 
36.00 
10.25 
Eyes yellow, bill black. Feet yel- 
lowish black. 
9469 
Lt. Williamson. 
Dr.Heermann 
J. X. de Vesey. 
84 b 
July 24, 1858. 
