628 THE FANNIN HERON. 



No. 249. 



FANNIN'S HERON. 



A. O. U. No. 194 a. Ardea herodias fannini Chapman. 



Synonym. — Northwest Coast IIurux. 



Description. — .Idiilts: Similar to .1. hcrixlias Init uf darker C()loratii.>n, wil.i 

 shorter tarsus, and averaging smaller: uppcrparts bluish slaty black instead of 

 slaty blue; tibia; said to be more extensively feathered. Length: 40.00-45.00 

 (io'i6-ii43) ; wing 17.50 (, 444-5) ; tarsus 5.50 (128.3). 



Recognition Marks. — As in preceding: darker. 



Nesting. — Nut peculiar. 



General Range. — Northwest Coast district from the Straits of San Juan de 

 Fuca and (possibly) Gray's Harbor north to Queen Charlotte Islands and west 

 coast of British Columbia. 



Range in Washington. — As above, transitional form resident along north- 

 west Coast-line from Port Townsend to Gray's Harbor. 



Authorities. — No valid publication. B.(?) E.(?). 



Specimens. — Prov. E. (?). 



THIS more darkly colored and somewhat smaller bird has lieen 

 descriljcd from the regions of maximum rainfall here in the Pacific North- 

 west, and the (Jueen Charlotte Island grou]) is assigned as the t_\|)e locality. 

 In the nature of the case it is impossible to draw a hard and fast line of 

 separation lietween this and the interior form. On thecjry the bird should 

 begin to difterentiate as the rainfall increases. This would affect specimens 

 from the entire Puget Sound region, and more especiall\- birds from Ciray's 

 Harbor and the coastal districts. Whether this gradual deepening of color 

 and decrease of size is really traceal.)le could be determined onl\- 1)\' 

 a large series of specimens. Such a series, I hold flatly, it would l)e a 

 crime to secure, because of the higher esthetic interests presented in 

 this liird: and 1 make no a])olog_\-, therefore, for stating an unsohed 

 problem. 



In note-book usage we call all resilient Herons from Olympia, west- 

 ward ;in(l northward. Fannin's, just as we call Crows found along shore. 

 Northwests. That they are chiefly resident thruout this region and north- 

 ward is well known, and it is the condition concomitant which permits the 

 display of \-arialion. 



