164 MANUAL OF PHILIPPINE BIRDS. 
“Adult in breeding plumage.—General color above light ashy gray, 
scapular plumes, parapteral fedffers, and innermost secondaries elon- 
gated and forming narrow drooping plumes of pearly gray or white; 
the wing-coverts gray like back, the outer ones pearly gray or white, the 
greater series dark ashy, outer webs entirely white; alula, primary-coverts, 
and quills purplish black, secondaries shaded with gray externally, inner 
secondaries like back; tail-feathers entirely gray; crown of head crested, 
white in the center, with a broad band of purplish black on each side, 
ending in a crest on occiput, and having two elongated nuchal plumes; 
entire sides of face, neck all round, and under surface of body white, with 
a creamy lilac shade on each side of fore neck and chest, which have 
drooping plumes of narrow, elongated, white feathers; the whole of the 
lower throat and fore neck varied with elongated black stripes, differing 
in breadth and situated on one side of the feather; on each side of the 
crop is a large patch of drooping plumes of purplish black, and continued 
along the sides of the body even as far as the vent; sides of body light 
ashy gray; thighs and under tail-coverts white; under wing-coverts ashy 
gray. ‘Bill yellow, with the ridge of the upper mandible brown towards 
the end ; feet dull green; tibia yellow; claws black; iris yellow; bare space 
between the bill and the eye green.” (Macgillivray.) Length, 762; 
culmen, 129; wing, 457; tail, 183; tarsus, 173. 
“Adult female-—Similar to the male and equally beautifully colored, 
but the black crest-plumes not so long, arfd the black markings on the 
chest not quite so pronounced. Length, about 762; culmen, 124; wing, 
452; tail, 170; tarsus, 162. 
“Young.—Differs from the adult in being darker and not so pure 
gray; head dark slate-color, with a small nuchal crest of purplish black, 
neck rather lighter ashy; sides of face and ear-coverts also ashy gray; 
cheeks and throat white; neck dark slaty gray, as also the sides of the 
body, under wing-coverts, and axillars; lower throat, fore neck, and chest 
very broadly streaked with black, the black very thickly developed on 
throat, sparsely on fore neck, and represented by a few black streaks on 
sides of body; on each side of chest the black patch of the adult is 
represented by a dusky patch of feathers, relieved by several broad white 
streaks; on bend of wing a tinge of rust-color, which also pervades the 
black-streaked feathers of throat and fore neck.” (Sharpe.) 
“Rare. Not met with by us on our second visit to the Islands.” 
(Bourns and Worcester MS.) 
The common heron is rare in the Philippines but may be recognized 
by the pale gray head and neck, set off by the black crest, line on side of 
head, and broken line on throat. A very much damaged specimen in 
the Bureau of Science collection has unfortunately no data as to its source 
but it was probably killed in Luzon. 
