305 



GREAT BLUE HERON. 

 Aidca heiodias. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Adult.— Bill about six inches long, cliiefly yellow; dusky on 

 culmen; eyes yellow; legs and feet blackish, yellowish about 

 toes; lores greenish-yellow or bluish. The color of bill, legs 

 and lores vary greatly not only with age and season but also 

 with individuals. The male, larger than female, is about four 

 feet long and about six feet from tip to tip. Forehsad and 

 central portion of crown white, surrounded on sides and be- 

 hind with black; long occipital feathers black; neck chiefly 

 brownish-gray; feathers on middle (in front) of lower two- 

 thirds of neck, with a showy streak of black, white and rusty, 

 chin and upper part of neck in front white. Tibiae ("thighs") 

 and edge of wing reddish brown; upper parts and tail light 

 bluish slate color; long scapular feathers and long straggling 

 feathers on lower neck. The young are different in many re- 

 spects from the above, but can always be known by their 

 large size and a general resemblance to the adult. 



ffabitat. — North America, from the Artie regions southward 

 to the West Indies and Northern South America. 



This bird, the largest of our Herous, i.s a summer 

 rcsiden't in various localities in this State. During the 

 last ten years, however, several favorite breeding re- 

 sorts in eastern Pennsylvania, which were annually 

 visited by this and other spetics, have been broken np 

 by boys and men who destroyed the birds, old and 

 young, simply because their feathers would bring a 

 few dollars, and, as they remarked, "there's no. law to 

 stop it." 



I have no doubt that the time will soon coiiic when 

 this beautiful Heron will be known in this Common- 

 wealth only as a rare straggling visitant. 



THE XKST AND EGGS. 



The nest is made of large sticks and twigs, and 

 placed on the largei' limbs nf trees which grow usually 



2n-.n 



