ARDEIDvE— THE HERONS. 130* 



White phase. 



A dult: 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 terminal third, the lores, orbits, and base of under mandible pale apple- 

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

 Naples yellow 1 . 



Pied, or intermediate, phase. 



The plumage mixed white and plumbeous, in proportion varying with the individual, 

 forming a series connecting unbrokenly the two extremes described above. 



Total length, abort 20 UO-25.00 inches; expanse, 40 .00-42.00; wing, 0.00-10.60; tail, 3.60-4.70; 

 culmen, 2.70-3.30; depth of bill, .45-.5S; tarsus, 3.15-4.00; middle toe, 2.35-55.60 ; bare portion of 

 tibia. 2.00-2.90. Weight, about 11-16 ounces. 



While there is evidently such a thing as an intermediate phase 

 among fully adult birds, specimens representing; it appear to 

 be excessively rare. The young in blue plumage seems to be 

 equally uncommon. It may be, however, that all birds become 

 blue at some time of their existence, and it is quite certain that 

 a very great majority of the youug are white, only one unques- 

 tionably young bird in blue plumage having come under my 

 notice. 



The Little Blue Heron is a common bird during the latter 

 part of summer, particularly during August, when (in 1875) 

 Mr. E. W. Nelson found it exceedingly abundant near Cairo. 

 Considerable numbers make their appearance along the Wabash 

 River, at least as far north as Mt. Carmel, and doubtless it 

 occurs generally throughout the State. 



Subgenus Butorides Blyth 



Butorides "Blytii. 1810," Bonap. Consp. ii, 1855, 128. Type, -I rd< a 'avanica Horsf. 

 Oniscus Caban. J. f. O. iv, 1856. :?43. Typo, Ardea virescens Linn. 



Gbn. Chak. Small Herons, of darkish, moro'or less variegated, colors, the pileum and 

 occiput crested. Bill rather stout, decidedly longer than the tarsus. Mental apex reach- 

 ing to a little less than half-way (in B. brunnescena exactly half-way) f rem the middle of (ho 

 '■ye to the point of the bill, and to decidedly beyond the anterior end of the nostril; malar 

 c about even with the frontal, and decidedly posterior to the hinder end of the nostril 

 In /:. brunnescena this point falls considerably short of the frontal one). Middle toe very 

 nearly or quid- equal to the tarsus (equal to it In B. javanicua, a little shorter in the 

 American forms, the difference being most marked In - taroely or 



no) al all longer than the Inner (except In /:. bn out half the length of 



the middle toe; ba ol tibia equal to or Bhorter than the hallux. 



1 Fresh colors of a specimen killed .\u-\i>' ■ hjngton, 1 1 



