Page:The birds of America, Volume 6.djvu/195

Rh never goes far inland; returns to the Southern States as soon as the young are able to travel.

11. The Green Heron. Ar elect virescens. Resident in the Floridas; dis- perses over the Union; goes far inland; the greater number return at the approach of winter to the Southern States. 12. The Least Bittern. Ardea exilis. Resident in the Floridas; mi- grates as far as Maine, and throughout the Western Country, far up the Missouri; returns early in autumn to the Southern States. You will see from the above statement, that the Herons are almost similar to our Pigeons in respect to the extent of their migrations, which must appear the more remarkable on account of their comparative size, Ardea Herodias and A. virescens corresponding in a great degree to the Columbct migratoria and C. carolinensis. Ardea rufescens, Grael. Syst. Nat., vol. i. p. 628. Peale's Egret Heron, Ardea Pealii, Bonap. Amer. Orn., vol. iv. p. 96. Young. Peale's Egret, Nutt. Man., vol. ii. p. 49. Young. Reddish Egret, Ardea rufescens, Aud. Orn. Biog., vol. iii. p. 411; vol. v. p. 604. Male, 31, 46. Resident on the Florida Keys, and in Galveston Bay. Never seen inland. Extremely abundant. Adult Male. Bill much longer than the head, straight, compressed, tapering, the man- dibles nearly equal in size. Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight, the ridge broad and convex at the base, afterwards very narrow, a groove from the base to near the end, beneath which the sides are convex, the edges thin and sharp, with a notch on each side close to the narrow but obtuse tip. Nostrils basal, linear, longitudinal. Lower mandible with the angle long and extremely narrow, the dorsal line beyond it ascending and very slightly convex, the edges sharp and slightly inflected, the tip very narrow but obtuse. Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck very long and slender. Body slender and compressed. Feet very long; tibia elongated and slender, its lower half bare, covered all round with angular scales; tarsus elongated, slender, compressed, covered anteriorly with numerous large scutella, late- rally and behind with angular scales. Toes of moderate length, rather slender, scutella above, reticularly granulate beneath; third toe considerably longer than the fourth, which is in nearly the same proportion longer than the second, the first much shorter, but strong; claws rather small, strong, arched, compressed, obtuse, that of hind toe much larger, the inner edge of that of the third regularly pectinated. Vol. VI. 20