372. 8. Ardea Egretta, Gmel. Great American White Egret.
Plate CCCLXXXVI. Male.
Feathers of the head scarcely elongated, those of the fore part of the back extremely long, slightly decurved, with loose filaments, and extending about ten inches beyond the tail; bill yellow; feet black; plumage pure white. Young white, the elongated feathers not fully developed until the second year, bill greenish-black.
Male, 37, 57.
Resident in Florida, and Galveston Bay in Texas. Migrates in spring sometimes as far as Massachusetts; up the Mississippi, to Natchez, Breeds in all intermediate districts. Returns south before winter. Very Abundant.
Ardea Egretta, Gmel. Syst. Nat. v. i. p. 629.
Great White Heron, Ardea Egretta, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. vii. p. 106.
Ardea alba, Bonap. Syn. p. 304.
Ardea Egretta, Wagler, Syst. Av.
Great White Heron, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 47.
Great American Egret, Ardea Egretta, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 600.
373. 9. Ardea rufescens, Gmel. Reddish Egret.
Plate CCLVI. Adult and Young.
Feathers of the upper and hind part of the head and of the neck generally, much elongated, very narrow, loose, with linear-acuminate compact tips; of the back extremely long, slightly recurved, with loose filaments, and extending several inches beyond the tail; bill pale flesh-colour, with the terminal third black; feet ultramarine blue, the scutella bluish-black; plumage of the head and neck light reddish-brown; back and wings greyish-blue; long train-feathers yellowish toward the end; lower parts greyish-blue, paler than the upper. Young with the plumage white, the feet dusky green, the soles yellow.
Male, 31, 46.