ARDEID®. 355 
three feet, the average of the Common Heron. The 
following description is taken from Yarrell :—“ The 
adult bird has the beak greenish brown, darkest in 
colour towards the point; the lore naked and green; 
irides bright yellow; the feathers of the top of the 
head pale yellow-brown, streaked longitudinally with 
dark lines, the feathers becoming elongated towards 
the occiput, with a dark line along each outer edge ; 
the feathers forming the occipital plume are eight or 
nine in number, and from four to six inches in length, 
lanceolated, pointed, pure white along the centre, 
bounded on each side with a black line, with a very 
narrow terminal margin of white; the sides, front of 
the neck at the bottom and the back rich buff colour; 
interscapulars reddish brown; the feathers of the 
back elongated, the webs disunited, each filament 
having the appearance of a single hair; the colour 
of a pale reddish brown in those upon the surface, 
passing into a delicate butf-colour, in those under- 
neath the wings white, the ends of some of the 
coverts and tertials being tinged with buff; rump, 
upper tail-coverts and tail-feathers white; chin, 
throat and belly, under surface of the wings, axillary 
plume, vent and under surface of the tail-feathers 
pure white; legs yellowish brown; toes brown above, 
yellow underneath ; claws black. In a younger bird 
the descending dusky grey streaks on the feathers of 
the neck are longer and broader, and the lighter 
ground-colour more mixed with brown; the wing- 
