of the District of Montreal, Zd^ 



1st primary longest; long axillary feathers shorter than the 

 4th primary, but longer than the 5th. Length 11 J inches ; alar 

 expanse 22 J inches. 



In its winter plumage this bird has its ventral aspect wholly 

 white ; the dorsal aspect blackish brown, varied with greenish 

 yellow fringed with crimson, The young birds have a good deal 

 of white mixed with the black on the ventral aspect. 



Fam. II. Cultirostres. 

 Genus Ardea. 

 Gen. char. Bill subequal in length to the head, long, com- 

 pressed and acuminate ; upper mandible furrowed slightly ; ridge 

 rounded; nostrils lateral, basal, semiclosed by a membrane, and 

 placed in a groove ; lores and orbits naked ; legs long and slen- 

 der, a naked space upon the knee ; middle and outer toes con- 

 nected at the base ; inner one free ; hind toe long; tail of 10 to 

 12 feathers ; 2nd and 3rd primaries longest. 



Sztb genus Ardea. 



Sub gen. char. Bill straight, longer than the head ; neck long 

 and slender, and with long pendant feathers from its lower sur- 

 face ; legs long. 



A. herodias. Great Heron. 

 A. herodias. Baird ! 



D.c. " Bill yellow and black ; legs brownish black tinged with 

 yellow, netted with seams of whitish ; naked space above the 

 legs brownish yellow ; irides orange; eggs 4, greenish blue. 



" Dorsal aspect. Space round the eye from the nostnl light 

 purplish blue ; forehead and middle of the crown white passing 

 over the eye ; sides of crown and occiput bluish black, and crested, 

 with two long tapering black feathers 6 inches long ; whole upper 

 part of wings, tail and body light ash, the latter ornamented with 

 a profusion of long narrow white feathers, originating on the 

 shoulders and falling gracefully over the wings ; primaries dark 

 slate. 



" Ventral aspect. Chin, cheeks, sides of head, white ; throat 

 white streaked with double rows of black ; the rest of the neck 

 brownish, but from the lower part of which proceed narrow 

 pointed white feathers, which spread over the breast nearly to the 

 thighs; under these plumes, the breast, and middle of the belly, 

 are deep blackish slate, the latter streaked with white ; flanks 



