ABDEIL^ — AliDEIXJE : HERONS. 



657 



Always white. Adult with decompoeed recurved feathers on back Garzetta 259 



Aflhy-blue, white below. Bill longer than tarsus Hydranassa 260 



Length 30, not 36 inches. Blue or white. Tarsus twice as long as middle toe. Bill shorter than 



tarsus IHchromanaisa 261 



Length 36 or more. Entirely white : no crest ; long decomposed feathers on back . . Herodias 258 



Length 42 or more; of dark varied colors, or white; crested, without dorsal plumes . . Ardea 2frr 



60. Subfamily ARDEIN^: True Herons. 



Tail-feathers 12 (in all N. 

 Am. genera), broad and stiflf- 

 ish. Powder-down tracts 3 

 pairs. Tibiae naked below. 

 Outer toe not shorter than in- 

 ner. Claws moderate, curved. 

 (Embracing most of the spe- 

 cies of the famUy, and aU our 

 species excepting the Bit- 

 terns.) 



ARDEA. (Lat. ardea, a 

 herou.) Great Heeoxs. Of 

 largest size. Neck and legs 

 very long, former well feath- 

 ered all around. Tibiae exten- 

 sively denuded below. Tarsus 

 longer than middle toe and 

 claw. Outer lateral toe longer 

 than inner. BiU shorter than 

 tarsus, equal to or longer than 

 middle toe and claw. Colors 

 dark and varied, exceptionally 

 white; back without length- 

 ened loosened plumes ; scapu- 

 lars lanceolate, lengthened, but 

 not loosened; lower fore-neck 

 with lengthened feathei-s ; head 

 crested, in breeding season with 

 two long, slender, flowing, oc- 

 cipital plumes. Sexes alike; 

 young similar, but lacking aU 

 lengthened feathers. Dichro- 

 matic. (Genera 25 S-263 should 

 be reduced to subgenera of 

 Ardea.) 



Fig. 457 

 Audubon. 



-Great Blue Heron, greatly reduced. (From Tennev, after 



Analysis of Species. 



Tibiaeandedgeof wing white; occiput and plumes black. (Europe.) cinerea 657 



Tibiae and edge of wing rufous ; or whole plumage white. 



Occiput and plumes black ; whole plumage varied. Bill 6 or less ; tarsus 8 or less .... herodias 655 



Occiputandplumes white; or, whole plumage white. Bill 6 or more ; tarsus 8 or more occidentalig 656 



A. herodias. (Liit. herodias, a prober nanne ; Gr. epaSias, erodias, r heron. Fig. 457.) Great 

 Blue Heron. Of large size, and varied dark colors ; not dichromatic. Back without peculiar 

 plumes at any seasou, but scapulars lengthened and lanceolate ; an occipital crest, two de- 



42 



