THE BIKDS OF NEW JERSEY. 105 



199 Hydranassa tricolor ruficollis (Gosse). 

 Louisiana Heron. 



Adults.— Length, 23-28. Wing, 8.35-10.80. Above, bluish-slate; back of 

 neck, maroon, with some white feathers, especially on the occiput ; long plumes 

 at base of neck, maroon and slate ; throat and under parts, white ; "train" of 

 hair-like feathers from the back, light drab. 



Young in first autumn slate-colored above, white below, more or less rusty 

 on throat and head ; upper tail-coverts, white. 



Very rare straggler from the south in former years. Turnbull says 

 (1869) : "This species has occasionally been obtained on the New 

 Jersey coast." There is no more definite record. 



200 Florida caerulea (Linneeus). 

 Little Blue Heron. 



Adults. — Length, 20-29. Wing, 9-10.50. General color, uniform bluish- 

 slate ; head and neck, purplish-chestnut ; legs and feet, black ; bill, black ; 

 lores, blue. 



Young in first summer and autumn, white, except the tips of the primaries, 

 which are slate color ; legs, feet and lores, greenish-yellow. 



Nest like that of the Egret ; eggs. 1.75 x 1.25. 



A not uncommon but rather irregular migrant from the south in late 

 July, August and early September. Most of these migrants are young 

 birds in the white plumage, and as most persons are not aware that 

 the Little Blue Heron is white during the first year of its life, they 

 are constantly confused with the Snowy Heron and the Egret. I am 

 inclined to think that most of the "White Herons" reported belong 

 to this species. Most of the recent records given under the Egret 

 refer also to this species, especially in the account by W. B. Evans. 



I find no definite record of the nesting of this species in the State, 

 except that of Wilson, who found them with the Snowy Herons, but 

 only in small numbers, and Turnbull, who may be merely quoting 

 from Wilson, his statement being "rare, but has been found breeding 

 at Cape May." A. G. Van Aken refers casually to this species nesting 

 with the Night Herons at New Brunswick April, 1882, but T think tlie 

 Green Heron was the species intended.^ Dr. C. C. Abbott assures 

 me that one pair once nested near Trenton. 



' O. and O., 1883, p. 46. 



