“It certainly was one of the finest ornithological sights I ever saw: all around a wilderness of dark green rushes, rising above my head as I sat on horseback; the cloud of graceful snow-white birds perched everywhere, or reflected in the water as they flew to and fro overhead; and the hundreds of blue eggs exposed to the bright sunlight.
“A. egretta and A. candidissima lay four eggs each, though the former rarely hatches out more than three. N. obscurus lays and hatches out three. The eggs of all three species are of the same shade of light blue.”
[317.] ARDEA CANDIDISSIMA, Gm.
(SNOWY EGRET.)
Ardea candidissima, Scl. et Salv. Nomencl. p. 125; Durnford, Ibis, 1877, p. 189 (Buenos Ayres); Gibson, Ibis, 1880, p. 158 (Buenos Ayres); Barrows, Auk, 1884, p. 271 (Entrerios). Garzetta candidissima, Baird, Brew., et Ridgw. Water-B. N. A. i. p. 28. Ardea nivea, Burm. La-Plata Reise, ii. p. 509.
Description.—White above and beneath; adult with a long occipital crest of decomposed feathers and dorsal plumes lengthened; lores and toes yellow; bill black, yellow at base; legs black, behind yellowish at the lower part: whole length 24·0 inches, wing 9·5, tail 4·0. Female similar.
Hab. North and South America.
The Snowy Egret is common on the pampas, and throughout all the warm portions of North and South America; but does not range so far south as Ardea egretta. It is a very pretty bird in its dazzling white plumage, and is more active and social in its habits than most Herons, being usually seen in small flocks, and often associates with Ibises and other aquatic species. An account of its breeding-habits has already been given.