104. BIRDS OF LA PLATA 
It comes as far south as Bhenos Ayres, but is only 
a summer visitor there, and very scarce. Having 
seen but little of it myself, I can only repeat Azara’s 
words concerning it. He says it is common in Para- 
guay, going in pairs or families, and perches and 
roosts on trees, and when flying flaps its wings more 
rapidly than other Herons. It makes its nest on a 
tree, and lays two clear blue eggs. 
I saw less of the Whistling or “ Fluting’’ Heron than 
of any of the seven species I was acquainted with in 
La Plata. About its habits I found out nothing, and 
on that account I should have omitted all mention 
of it—that being the rule in this book—if its strange 
beauty had not charmed and made a lasting impres- 
sion on my mind. The stuffed specimens, from 
which the description is taken, do not show the 
colours of the living bird—the soft clear grey and 
primrose yellow—most delicate colours and rarely 
seen in a bird of this size. In the museum specimens 
the primrose yellow fades to white with a dull 
yellowish tinge. 
LITTLE BLUE HERON 
Butorides cyanurus 
Above blue grey; beneath ash-colour; black crest with greenish 
gloss ; ferruginous spots on the neck; length 14 inches, 
THE Little Blue Heron, though widely distributed, 
is not anywhere a common bird. I have always 
seen it singly, for it loves a hermit-life, and the 
