Plumage soft and blended, on the upper parts somewhat velvety. Wings very long, extending far beyond the tail, very narrow, slightly falciform; the primaries tapering to an obtuse point; the first quill longest, the second almost equal, the rest rapidly diminishing; six of the secondaries emarginate. Tail of moderate length, emarginate, the middle feathers four-twelfths shorter than the lateral; all rounded.
Bill black; iris brown; feet dusky. The upper part of the head deep green gradually shaded into the dark purple of the hind neck; the back rich grass-green, the rump and upper tail-coverts carmine purple. The smaller wing-coverts are dusky, broadly tipped with green, glossed with purple; the quills and larger coverts dusky, glossed with blue; the tail also dusky, glossed with blue. A line over the eye, the cheeks, and all the lower parts, are pure white excepting the lower wing-coverts, which are light grey.
Length to end of tail 4 10/12, to end of wings 5 7/12; bill along the ridge 2 3/4/12, along the edge of lower mandible 5/12; wing from flexure 4 6/12; tail to end of middle feathers 1 1/2, to end of longest 1 10 1/2/12; tarsus 4 3/4/12; hind toe 2/12, its claw 2/12; middle toe 5 1/2/12, its claw 2/12.
Adult Female. Plate CCCLXXXV. Fig. 5.
The Female is somewhat smaller, and differs considerably in colour. The upper part of the head and the hind neck are light greyish-brown glossed with bronzed green; the back bright green as in the male, the rump greyish-brown; the wings and tail are as in the male, but less glossy; as are the lower parts, which are, however, anteriorly tinged with grey.
Length to end of tail 4 7/12, to end of wings 5; wing from flexure 4 1/4, tail 1 8 1/2/12.
GREAT AMERICAN EGRET.
Ardea Egretta, Gmel.
PLATE CCCLXXXVI. Male.
In the third volume of this work, I have already intimated that the truly elegant Heron which now comes to be described, is a constant resident in the Floridas, that it migrates eastward sometimes as far as the State of Massachusetts, and up the Mississippi to the city of Natchez, and, lastly, that it is never seen far inland, by which I mean that its rambles into the interior seldom extend to more than fifty miles from the sea-shore, unless along the course of our great rivers. I have now to add that on my way to the Texas, in the spring of 1837, I found these birds in several places along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, and on several of the islands scattered around that named Galveston, where, as well as in the Floridas, I was told that they spend the winter.
The Great American Egret breeds along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, and our Atlantic States, from Galveston Island in the Texas to the borders of the State of New York, beyond which, although stragglers have been seen, none, in so far as I can ascertain, have been known to breed. In all low districts that are marshy and covered with large trees, on the margins of ponds or lakes, the sides of bayous, or gloomy swamps covered with water, are the places to which it generally resorts during the period of reproduction; although I have in a few instances met with their nests on low trees, and on sandy islands at a short distance from the main land. As early as December I have observed vast numbers congregated, as if for the purpose of making choice of partners, when the addresses of the males were paid in a very curious and to me interesting manner. Near the plantation of John Bulow, Esq. in East Florida, I had the pleasure of witnessing this sort of tournament or dress-ball from a place of concealment not more than a hundred yards distant. The males, in strutting round the females, swelled their throats, as Cormorants do at times, emitted gurgling sounds, and raising their long plumes almost erect, paced majestically before the fair ones of their choice. Although these snowy beaux were a good deal irritated by jealousy, and conflicts now and then took place, the whole time I remained, much less fighting was exhibited than I had expected from what I had already seen in the case of the Great Blue Heron, Ardea Herodias. These meetings took place about ten o’clock in the morning, or after they had all enjoyed a good breakfast, and continued until nearly three in the afternoon, when, separating into flocks of eight or ten individuals, they flew off to search for food. These manœuvres were continued nearly a week, and I could with ease, from a considerable distance mark the spot, which was a clear sand-bar, by the descent of the separate small flocks previous to their alighting there.