AttDEA VIRESCENS. i-.-. 



HABITS. 

 The Little Blue Herons are, without exception, the most agile of the family, springing 

 into air when startled, with the ease of a Snipe, and when once on the wing, movin"- with 

 great rapidity. These birds exhibit a decided predilection for inland waters, running about 

 the margins of the lakes and rivers, or walking over the aquatic plants which float on the 

 surface, in order to catch fishes, frogs, or insects. It is a noticeable fact, that birds in the 

 white plumage are much tamer than those in the blue, but this may be accounted for, by 

 fact, that the light colored specimens are all young. It is also quite rare to see a blue bird 

 without companions, while the white are more solitary, :uid a single iiidiviihial will ol'ten 

 haunt a certain spot for months. Thus, there was one at Blue Spring, whirh w.is accus- 

 tomed to fish in a small stream that was about half a mile long, and the bird never left it, 

 even roosting at night in the high trees that overhung the water. Tliese Herons breed 

 while in the white plumage, and also when passing from one stage to the other. There 

 can be no doubt but wliat the white birds are all comparatively young, for although tltey 

 often acquire the long plumes when thus colored, they invariably assume the blue livery, 

 as a final dress; but on the other hand, I do not think that any are blue from birth, they 

 all, according to my experience which has been very large, for I have examined hundreds 

 of specimens, pass through the white phase of plumage. These little Herons are accus- 

 tomed to wander considerably and I have even met with them in Massachusetts, where, 

 however, they are only stragglers. 



ARDEA VIRESCENS. 



Little Green Heron. 



Ardea vircscens Linn, Syst. Nat., I; ITHO, 238. 



DESCRIPTIOiN. 



Sp. Ch. Form , robust. Size, very small. Tongue, very lung, slemler, atvl narrowing gradually t) tip \v!];-.-!i is point- 

 ed. Head, neck, back, and breast, provided with lanceolate plumes. Lower fourtli of tibia, naked. 



Color. Adult. Top of head and upper parts, dark-brown, glos.sed with green on all but quills which are tinged with 

 bluish as are also the plumes on back. Wing feathers, edged with reddish and tijiped with white. Neck, chestnut-red, 

 streaked in a line in front, with white and dusky. Beneath, iishy, tinged with yellowish. L-is and feet, yellow. Naked 

 space in front of eye.s and hill, brown and yellow. 



Vounij. Similar to the adult but lack the plumes; the feathers of the upper part.s are edged with reddi.sh, and the 

 neck and lower parts are streaked with dusky. 



OBSERVATIONS. 

 Readily known by the small size and greenish glossing above. Distributed, in summer, throughout the United States. 

 Winters in Florida. 



DIMENSIONS. 

 Average measurements of specimens from Eastern North America. Length, 17"5(), .•itretcti, •24'2o; wiog, 725; tail, 

 3-75; bill, 2 20; tarsus, 2'45. Longest specimen, 19-30; greatest extent of wing, 28 00; longest wing, 7 135; tail, 300; bill, 

 2-40; tarsus, 2-90. Shortest specimen, 15-.50; smallest extent of wing, 20'o0; shortest wing, 6-75; tail, 2'35; bill, 200; tai- 

 sus, 2-00. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 

 Nests, placed in trees or bushes, composed of sticks, loosely arranged. JCy.ys, three to fivo ifl number, elliptical in 

 form, greet;ish-blue in color, un-spotted. Dimeasions from lloi 1'45 to l'25st 1 liO. 



HABITS. 



The Little Green Herons arc known to all who have ever rowofl a boat on any of our 

 creeks or rivers, or w;ilked along their margins, for these birds are common from Canada 



