What is "ardea candidissima"

Plume \Plume\, n. [F., fr. L. pluma. Cf. Fly, v.]

1. A feather; esp., a soft, downy feather, or a long, conspicuous, or handsome feather.

   Wings . . . of many a colored plume.
   --Milton.

2. (Zo["o]l.) An ornamental tuft of feathers.

3. A feather, or group of feathers, worn as an ornament; a waving ornament of hair, or other material resembling feathers.

   His high plume, that nodded o'er his head.
   --Dryden.

4. A token of honor or prowess; that on which one prides himself; a prize or reward. ``Ambitious to win from me some plume.''
   --Milton.

5. (Bot.) A large and flexible panicle of inflorescence resembling a feather, such as is seen in certain large ornamental grasses. Plume bird (Zo["o]l.), any bird that yields ornamental plumes, especially the species of Epimarchus from New Guinea, and some of the herons and egrets, as the white heron of Florida ( Ardea candidissima). Plume grass. (Bot)

   1. A kind of grass ( Erianthus saccharoides) with the spikelets arranged in great silky plumes, growing in swamps in the Southern United States.

   2. The still finer Erianthus Ravenn[ae] from the Mediterranean region. The name is sometimes extended to the whole genus.

      Plume moth (Zo["o]l.), any one of numerous small, slender moths, belonging to the family Pterophorid[ae]. Most of them have the wings deeply divided into two or more plumelike lobes. Some species are injurious to the grapevine.

      Plume nutmeg (Bot.), an aromatic Australian tree ( Atherosperma moschata), whose numerous carpels are tipped with long plumose persistent styles.

Egret \E"gret\, n. [See Aigret, Heron.]

1. (Zo["o]l.) The name of several species of herons which bear plumes on the back. They are generally white. Among the best known species are the American egret ( Ardea egretta syn. Herodias egretta); the great egret ( Ardea alba); the little egret ( Ardea garzetta), of Europe; and the American snowy egret ( Ardea candidissima).

   A bunch of egrets killed for their plumage.
   --G. W. Cable.

2. A plume or tuft of feathers worn as a part of a headdress, or anything imitating such an ornament; an aigrette.

3. (Bot.) The flying feathery or hairy crown of seeds or achenes, as the down of the thistle.

4. (Zo["o]l.) A kind of ape.

Heron \Her"on\, n. [OE. heiroun, heroun, heron, hern, OF. hairon, F. h['e]ron, OHG. heigir; cf. Icel. hegri, Dan. heire, Sw. h["a]ger, and also G. h["a]her jay, jackdaw, OHG. hehara, higere, woodpecker, magpie, D. reiger heron, G. reiher, AS. hr[=a]gra. Cf. Aigret, Egret.] (Zo["o]l.) Any wading bird of the genus Ardea and allied genera, of the family Ardeid[ae]. The herons have a long, sharp bill, and long legs and toes, with the claw of the middle toe toothed. The common European heron ( Ardea cinerea) is remarkable for its directly ascending flight, and was formerly hunted with the larger falcons.

Note: There are several common American species; as, the great blue heron ( Ardea herodias); the little blue ( Ardea c[oe]rulea); the green ( Ardea virescens); the snowy ( Ardea candidissima); the night heron or qua-bird ( Nycticorax nycticorax). The plumed herons are called egrets.

Heron's bill (Bot.), a plant of the genus Erodium; -- so called from the fancied resemblance of the fruit to the head and beak of the heron.

Snowy \Snow"y\, a.

1. White like snow. ``So shows a snowy dove trooping with crows.''
   --Shak.

2. Abounding with snow; covered with snow. ``The snowy top of cold Olympus.''
   --Milton.

3. Fig.: Pure; unblemished; unstained; spotless.

   There did he lose his snowy innocence.
   --J. Hall (1646).

   Snowy heron (Zo["o]l.), a white heron, or egret ( Ardea candidissima), found in the Southern United States, and southward to Chile; -- called also plume bird.

   Snowy lemming (Zo["o]l.), the collared lemming ( Cuniculus torquatus), which turns white in winter.

   Snowy owl (Zo["o]l.), a large arctic owl ( Nyctea Scandiaca, or N. nivea) common all over the northern parts of the United States and Europe in winter time. Its plumage is sometimes nearly pure white, but it is usually more or less marked with blackish spots. Called also white owl.

   Snowy plover (Zo["o]l.), a small plover ( [AE]gialitis nivosa) of the western parts of the United States and Mexico. It is light gray above, with the under parts and portions of the head white.