THE GREAT BLUE HERON. 401 
breast; the body may be described as bluish-ash above and on the sides; the under 
parts, including the tuft of feathers on each side the breast and the belly to the 
white crissum, are sooty black, much varied along the middle line with white; 
the tibia and the edge of the wing are rufous; the quills are black, becoming more 
plumbeous internally until the innermost secondaries are ashy, like the back; the 
elongated tips of the scapular feathers have a whitish shade; the tail is of a bluish- 
slate color; according to Mr. Audubon, the bill in life is yellow; dusky-green above; 
loral and orbital spaces light-green; iris yellow; feet olivaceous, paler above the 
tibio-tarsal joint; claws black. - 
Young. — The upper mandible is blackish; the lower yellow, except along the 
commissure; the head above is entirely dusky, without the much elongated occipital 
feathers; the breast is grayish, streaked with white and light-brown, but without 
any pure-black patches; the back is without the elongated scapular feathers; in 
still younger specimens, the coverts are all margined with rufous, which becomes 
lighter at the tip; the rufous of the tibia is much lighter. 
Length, forty-two inches; wing, eighteen and fifty one-hundredths; tarsus about 
six and fifty one-hundredths inches; bill about five and fifty one-hundredths 
inches. 
This, the largest of our New-England Herons, is pretty 
generally distributed throughout these States as a summer 
resident; and, although not very abundant in any section, it 
is of course more often found in localities near large bodies of 
water than elsewhere. It arrives from the South about the 
second week in April, sometimes a little earlier. During 
the day, it seems to prefer the solitudes of the forest for 
its retreat, as it is usually seen in the meadows only at early 
morning, and in the latter part of the afternoon. It then, 
by the side of a ditch or pond, is observed patiently watching 
for its prey. It remains standing motionless until a fish or 
frog presents itself, when, with an unerring stroke with its 
beak, as quick as lightning, it seizes, beats to pieces, and 
swallows it. This act is often repeated; and, as the Heron 
varies this diet with meadow-mice, snakes, and insects, it 
certainly does not lead the life of misery and want that 
many writers ascribe to it. In fact, it is always plump and 
in good condition ; and by many is considered as a palatable 
bird on the table. 
About the 10th of May, this species commences building : 
as with the other Herons, it breeds in communities, and 
several nests may be found in an area of a fewrods. These 
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