A liDF.A L UD O VJCIA NA . -, ~ , 



Wliih" T do not positively cassert that orniHiolo^asts :irc wrong in tleciding that Peale's 

 and the Reddish Egrets are one species, I must say that I cannot, at present, helieve that 

 they are right in this dechiration; simply, because my experience with these birds, tends 

 to show that the species are quite distinct. During my first season in Florida, although I 

 found Peale's Egret very abundant on Indian River, I did not see a single Reddish, nor did 

 I ever find them at all common there; in fact, I hav<> taken but one bird, the only speci- 

 men I ever saw, in this section, and this was two or three years after my first visit. I did 

 not find the red birds at Miami, nor on the outer Keys, where the white ones were not un- 

 common. The first that I met with, were on Card's Sound, one of those peculiar bodies 

 of water, among the interior Keys, of wliicli I have spoken. Here a fiock of tln-ce Hew 

 slowly past me, but I did not see any more on that trip, while Peale's Egrets were partic- 

 ularly abundant. On the contrary, while on the West coast of P'lorida, below Tampa Bay, 

 we found nothing but Reddish Egrets, and here they fairly swarmed, lirceding in company 

 with other Herons, at John's Pass, early in April. I do not doubt but what the white 

 birds occur on the West coast, but they are certainly rare there. Such arc the results of 

 my observations and they surely go far toward proving that these Egrets are both good spe- 

 cies. The Reddish Egrets do not diifer from Peale's in general habits; neither are migra- 

 tory, but wander some in winter. 



ARDEA LUDOVICIANA. 

 Louisiana Heron. 



Ardm LuilDinriana VVll.^;., Am. (»rii.. VIII; l^ill, 1.'!. 

 DESCRll'TlON. 

 Sp. Cu. Form, slender. Size, rather small. Tongue, long, and tapering graduaHy toward tip wi.icli is pointed. 

 Head and breast, furnished witli lanceolate plumes and those of the bat-k are long and filamentous. Bill, very long. 



Color. Adult. Above, ashy-blue tinned im the neck with deep ehesinut-red. Occipital |)lumesand line down neck, 

 rufous and white. Throat, creamy. I'uro white beneath. Iris, naked space in front of eye, leg;, an J b:uso i,f 1x11, green- 

 ish, the latter dusky at tip. Yuuny. Similar to the adult, but lacks the plumes and arc tinged with rufoas above. 



OBSERVATIONS. 

 Readily known by the comparatively small size, pure white color beneath and as!i}"-blue above. Distributed, in sum- 

 mer, from the Carolinas to Key West; wintering in Florida. 



DIMENSIONS. 

 Average measurements of specimens from Florida. Length, 25'50; stretch, 35'30: wing, lO'SO; tail,3'75; bill,3'85; tar- 

 sus, 3'75. Longest specimen, 26-50; greatest extent of wing, 38-50; longest wing, 11-00; tail. 4-l(i; bill, 4-10; tarsus, 4-flO. 

 Shortest specimen, 23(10; smallest extent of wing, 33' 15; shortest wing, 10-00; tail, 3-50; hill, 3-T5; tai-sus, 3-.'>0. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 

 Ncsis, placed in trees or bushes, composed of sticks loosely arranged. Eygs, from two to four in nnmlier, varying from 

 elliptical to oval in form, bluish-green in color, unspotted. Dimensions frcmi I'SOx 1-75 to 1-40 .\; 1-80. 



HABITS. 



The Louisiana Herons are rather inclined to be solitary in habit, frequenting the shal- 

 low waters of the coast, in preference to the margins of the inland streams and lakes. They 

 are extremely agile while fishing, running rapidly after their prey when it endeavors to 

 escape. They are also good flyers, rising quickly, and when on the wing, moving rapid- 

 ly, or will occasionally dart downward, something like a Tern or Gull. Thoy are quite 

 unsuspicious, being, in fact, the tamest of ;ill the Herons, for they maybe approached quite 

 closclvj even when thoy hnve m full view of the intruder. While breeding, they will often 



