COMMON HERON. 12? 



ened into narrow points of a much paler tint, 

 and which now gives the prevailing shade to the 

 back. The quills are dark dull bluish-black. The 

 forehead, crown, cheeks, chin, and throat, are pure 

 white, and from above each eye proceeds a broad 

 stripe of deep black, which meets from both sides 

 upon the hind-head, and from which springs the 

 graceful long narrow plumes of the same colour, 

 forming the crest. The whole plumes on the 

 crown are lengthened, but the true crest, gene- 

 rally consisting of only two narrow feathers, is 

 often from six to seven inches in length. The 

 neck above, and on the sides, is of a rich pur- 

 plish-grey, shading into the colour of the back as 

 it approaches ; the fore part of the neck is relieved 

 by two lines of white feathers, black for a portion 

 of the one-half, gradually elongating to the lower 

 part of the neck, where they become of one colour 

 and lengthen into narrow points, often five or six 

 inches long, of a yellowish-white, and which hang 

 gracefully from the sides, as well as the fore part 

 of the neck and breast. The centre of the breast 

 and belly is pure white, but it is bordered and 

 relieved on each side by a streak of black, aris- 

 ing, from the anterior sides of the breast, in two 

 broad tufts of loose lengthened feathers. The 

 thighs and under tail-coverts are white. The feet 

 and legs are yellowish-brown, but the naked parts 

 of the tibiae are yellow, shading into brown as they 

 reach the tarsal joint. The bill is nearly deep 

 yellow, inclining upon the ridge to brownish, and 



