246 



HERON TRIBE 



In its full breedini:^-plumaLje — rarely seen in birds visiting this 

 country — the purple heron has the upper-parts dark slaty grey, 

 with the scapulars and innermost secondary feathers produced into 

 long drooping plumes of chestnut, the crown and the pendent feathers 

 of the nape of the neck glossy black, and the cheeks and sides of the 

 neck chestnut marked by a long black stripe. The fore part of the 

 neck is white streaked with black ; the feathers on the front of the 



I'LKi'i.K iii;kon. 



lower portion of the neck form long loose plumes of slaty grey ; a patch 

 of maroon -chestnut, from which the bird takes its distinctive name, 

 ornaments each side of the fore part- of the breast, the rest of which, 

 like the abdomen, is black. Truly a magnificent combination of colours, 

 which makes one wish this splendid bird were a resident and breeding 

 British species. The hen is a smaller and duller-coloured bird, with a 

 much shorter crest on the nape. When the breeding-season is over 

 both sexes lose the crest which adds so much to the beauty and dignity 

 of their appearance. In young birds, as commonly seen in this country, 

 the feathers of the back and wings have buff borders, and the head- 

 crest and elongated plumes of the back and breast arc entircl)' wanting. 



