THE BIRD-LIFE OF LONDON 
branches, from time to time flying backwards and for- 
wards, whilst every now and then birds come up from 
the river or depart in quest of food. 
The adult Heron has a broad black stripe on each side 
of the head, reaching on to the nape, where it forms a 
long, drooping crest of several narrow plumes; a series 
of black spots extends down the fore neck, extending into 
a broad black stripe on each side of the breast and 
abdomen ; the primaries, secondaries and primary coverts 
are greyish black; the remaining wing-coverts, the 
flanks, rump, upper tail-coverts, tail, scapulars, and mantle 
are delicate slate-grey ; the lower back is of the same 
colour, the feathers white at the tip and prolonged into 
a plume, as are the feathers on the lower neck; the re- 
mainder of the plumage is white. Bill and naked skin 
at the base yellow ; tarsi and toes brown ; irides yellow. 
Length 36 inches. The female has not quite so long 
a crest as the male. In the young in first plumage the 
crest is very short, the upper parts are suffused with 
brown, the elongated plumes on the back and neck are 
wanting, and the black on the breast and abdomen is 
replaced by greyish brown. 
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