NO. 1939. REVISION OF ARDEA HER0DIAS—0BERH0L8ER. 557 



brownish gray; neck all around deep brownish gray, somewhat 

 paler anteriorly, the median line of foreneck streaked with black, 

 clove brown, cinnamon rufous, and white; upper surface, includmg 

 tail, tertials, innermost secondaries, and superior secondary coverts, 

 slaty brown, the middle of back darker, the median coverts and outer 

 webs of greater coverts lighter; primaries, secondaries (except the 

 iimermost), primary coverts, and alula, brownish slate black; jugulum 

 deep brownish gray, medially white, broadly streaked \nth blackish 

 slate, slate gray, and smoke gray, narrowly with chestnut and cinna- 

 mon, the long, narrow, pointed, plume-like feathers terminally white; 

 a tuft of brownish black, mostly white-striped, chestnut-streaked 

 feathers on each side of the breast; back of this a small patch of deep 

 cinnamon rufous; sides and flanks brownish slate; breast and abdo- 

 men white, broadly streaked with slate black and slate gray, nar- 

 rowly with chestnut and cinnamon rufous; lower tail-coverts white; 

 thighs and edge of wing cinnamon rufous, the latter partly mixed 

 with white ; lining of wing, including axillars, slate color, but some of 

 the coverts with chestnut edgings. 



It thus differs from the fully adult bird in its brownish forehead 

 and sides of sinciput; deep brownish neck and upper parts; rusty 

 edgings of upper wing-coverts; much mixture of white in the edge 

 of the wing; slaty tufts on the sides of the breast; mostly gray 

 breast and abdomen; and the imperfect development of the dorsal, 

 scapular, and jugular plumaceous feathers. 



From the date of capture of the previously mentioned Chihuahua 

 example, and from other winter dates given in the Hst of specimens 

 below, it is evident that the present race is resident throughout the 

 year over most if not all of its range. 



The subspecific name which is here applied has been entirely lost 

 sight of for many years, and the writer is indebted to Mr. Ridgway 

 for calling his attention to this long-forgotten description. This 

 Ardea lessonii of Wagler * is based on a great blue heron from 

 "Mexico," and there is no reasonable doubt concerning its proper 

 application to the present form. 



Twelve examples of this race have been seen, from localities as 

 follows, breeding records being indicated by an asterisk: 



Chihuahua. — Colonia Garcia (Feb. 22). 



Jalisco. — Ocotlan (Dec. 28); La Barca (Dec. 18). 



Mexico (State). — San Mateo (Dec. 9). 



Michoacan. — Patzcuaro .* 



Tamaulipas. — [No locality specified.] 



Costa Rica. — Lipurio. 



Nicaragua. — San Juan del Sur (Jan. 5). 



Panama. — Fort Lorenzo ;* Empire. 



»Isis, 1831, p. 531. 



