384 PATAGONIAN EXPEDITIONS: ZOOLOGY. 



Lower parts : Wholly slaty blue, including the under wing-coverts, the 

 axillaries and under tail-coverts. 



Bill : Rich deep blue at base, becoming abruptly black on the terminal 

 part. See Figure 202. 



Unfeathered region about the eyes and /(^/'^^ and \ki^ eyelids, rich deep blue. 



Eyes : Varying in individuals from pale straw-color, to deep lead-color 

 and in some cases to rich hazel brown. Breeding birds in the blue phase 



Fig. 202. 



Florida ccsrulea, adult male in blue phase. 4060 Princeton University Collection. About Y^ 

 natural size. 



of plumage, actually nesting, show all these different phases of eye color- 

 ing. The change is apparently correlated with the period of breeding 

 and the birds with deep lead-colored or hazel irides are probably very old 

 individuals. The several colors of irides obtain in either sex. 



All birds examined during the season when not breeding, in whatever 

 phase of plumage, have pale straw colored irides. 



Legs : Almost or quite black. 



Feet : Almost or quite black. 



" I was struck during the early part of the breeding season, with the 

 coloration about the bill and face in some of the Herons, and not finding 

 descriptions of the same conditions I append the following : Ardea ccerulea ; 

 In this species, in both plumages, I have, in a very large series at the 



