AEDEID.E — THE HERONS — FLORIDA. 43 



extremes. Bill slender, acute, appreciably curved toward the tip, the culmen somewhat depressed 

 just above the anterior end of the nostril ; lower edge of the mandil)ular rami slightly concave, 

 the gonys nearly straight, but ascending ; anterior point of the malar feathers reaching just about 

 as far forward as that of the frontal feathers, and very far posterior to the posterior end of the 

 nostril ; anterior point of chin feathers almost directly beneath the anterior end of the nostril, and 

 a little over two thirds the distance from the middle of the eye to the point of the bill. Toes long, 

 the middle one two thirds, or more, as long as the tarsus, the hallux a little less than half its 

 length ; bare portion of tibia considerably less than the middle toe. Tarsal scutellae as in Garzetta 

 and Herodias. 



Nuptial plumes (occipital, jugular, and scapular) long, slenderly lanceolate, the webs rather 

 compact, especially those of the dorsal region ; those of the back reaching, when fully developed, 

 far beyond the tail. 



Florida ceerulea. 



THE LITTLE BLUE HERON. 



Ardca caruha, Catesdy, Carolina, I. 1731, pi. 76 (blue adult). 



Heron bhudtre dc Cayenne, Buff. PI. Enl. 1770-S4, pi. 349 (blue adult). 



Ardca ccerulea, Linn. S. N. ed. 10, 1758, 143, no. 13 [ex Brown, Jam. 478 ; Catesby, I.e.), T. 1766, 



238, no. 17. — WiLS. Am. Oin. VII. 1813, 117, pb 62. — Nutt. Man. II. 1834, 58. — AuD. 



Orn. Biog. IV. 1838, 58, pi. 307 ; Syuop. 1839, 266 ; B. Am. VI. 1843, 148, pi. 372. — CouES, 



Key, 1872, 268 ; Check List, 1873, no. 456. 

 Florida ccerulca, Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 671 ; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, no. 490. — PiIDGW. Nom. 



N. Am. B. 1881, no. 493. — CoUE.s, Check List, 2a ed. 1882, no. 662. 

 Blue Heron, var. A., Lath. Synop. III. 1785, 79 (blue adult. Quotes PI. Enl. 349). 

 Ardea ecerulcsceiis, Lath. Ind. Orn. II. 1790, 690, no. 49 (based on the above). 

 Le Crahier bleu a cou brim, Buff. Ois. VIL 399 (blue adult). 

 Blue Heron, Lath. Synop. III. 1785, 78 {i\\\oteH Ardca ccer idea, Linn.). 



1 Little White Heron, var. B., Lath. Synop. III. 1785, 94 (Mexico. Probably young white bird). 

 Ardca a,rdcsiacea, Less. Traite, I. 1831, 575 (Cayenne. Individual in pied plumage). 

 Herodias Pouchcti , Bonap. Consp. II. 1855, 123 (blue adult). 



" JEgrctta nivca," GossE, Birds Jam. 1847, 334 ; lllustr. B. Jam. pi. 90 (yoimg white bird). 

 Ardea cmrulca, var. alba, Reichenow, J. f. 0. July, 1877, 264 (white phase). 

 Ardea ccerulea, var. cyanopus, Reichenow, I.e. (intermediate, or pied, phase. Ex Ardea cyanopus, 



Gmel. S. N. I. ii. 1788, 644). 

 Ardea mcxicana cinerca, Baiss. Orn. V. 1760, 404 (intermediate phase). 

 Ardea amcricana einerca, Bmss. t.c. 406. 

 Ardca cnncrophagus brasiliensis, Briss. t.c. 479. 

 Ardea chalybea, Stephens, Shaw's Gen. Zool. XI. ii. 1819, 582. 



Hab. Warm-temperate eastern North America, the whole of the West Indies and Middle 

 America, and northern South America ; north to Massachusetts, Illinois, Kansas, etc. ; south to 

 New Granada and Guiana. 



Sp. Char. Length, about 20.00-25.00 inches ; expanse, 40.00-42.00 ; wing, 9.00-10.60 ; tail, 

 3.60-4.70 ; culmen, 2.70-3.30 ; depth of bill, .45-.55 ; tarsus, 3.15-4.00; middle toe, 2.35-2.60 ; 

 bare portion of tibia, 2.00-2.90. Weight, about 11-16 ounces. 



TVJiite phase. 



Adult: Prevailing color white, with the ends of several outer primaries plumbeous, the plumage 

 tinged here and there (in quantity varying with the individual) with delicate pale bluish pearl- 

 gray. Colors of the soft parts as in the blue adult. Young : Similar to the adult, but with the 

 plumes absent or but slightly developed. Bill pale lilaceous, becoming gradually black on ter- 

 minal third ; legs and feet uniform pea-green, lighter and brighter than in the blue phase ; iris 

 Naples yellow.i 



^ Fresh colors of a specimen killed August 6, near Washington, D. C. 



