Page:The birds of America, Volume 6.djvu/196

Space between the bill and eye, and around the latter, bare, as is the lower half of the tibia. Plumage soft, generally loose. Feathers of the upper and hind part of the head, and of the neck generally, especially on the sides and at the lower part anteriorly, much elongated, very narrow, loose, with linear compact extremities. The feathers of the back are similar but broader at their base, and those from the middle of the back are so elongated as to extend several inches beyond the tail, forming a train of which the filaments are hair-like and rather stiff. Wings of moderate length; primaries broad, tapering, the inner broadly rounded, with an acumen, as are the very broad secondaries; first quill longest, second almost equal, third and fourth slightly shorter, the rest of the primaries rapidly graduated; the inner secondaries extend to nearly an inch of the tip of the wing, when the latter is closed. Tail very short, slightly rounded, of twelve rather weak rounded feathers. Bill black on its terminal third, the rest and the bare space on the head pale flesh-colour. Iris white. Legs and feet ultramarine blue, the scutella bluish-black, as are the claws. Feathers of the head and neck light reddish- brown, tinged with lilac, the tips fading to brownish-white. Back and wings dull greyish-blue; the long feathers of the train yellowish towards the tips; all the lower parts are greyish-blue paler than that of the upper. Length to end of tail 31 inches, to end of wings 32; to end of claws 40; extent of wings 46; wing from flexure 14|; tail 4|; bill along the back 4, along the edge of lower mandible 4-j-^, depth at the base 1; bare part of tibia 4-/3-; tarsus 6; middle toe 3, its claw -ff . Weight If lbs. The Female is precisely similar to the male in colour, but is rather smaller. Young nearly two years old. The bill is coloured as in the adult, as is the iris, but the feet are dark olive-green, the soles greenish-yellow. The plumage presents the same form as in the adult, but is entirely pure white. In this state the bird has been described as a distinct species under the name of Peale's Egret Heron, but must now be restored to its proper species, the adult having been described and figured by Buffon under the name of Aigrette rousse, and named by Latham the Reddish Egret. This species may be distinguished at the first glance from all others that occur in the United States, by the peculiar form of the feathers of the head and neck, which are loose, pendent, and fringe-like, at all seasons, excepting in the young bird before the first moult. The number of young, as in all other species, much exceeds that of adult or coloured birds; and I have procured them in the proportion of three to one. I carried upwards of fifty specimens of this Heron to Charleston, where, as well as in Philadelphia, New York, and London, I presented some to my friends and to public institutions. I also sent several to my friend