104 BIRDS OF LA PLATA 



It comes as far south as Buenos Ayres, but is only 

 a summer visitor there, and very scarce. Having 

 seen but little of it myself, I can only repeat Azara's 

 words concerning it. He says it is common in Para- 

 guay, going in pairs or families, and perches and 

 roosts on trees, and when flying flaps its wings more 

 rapidly than other Herons* It makes its nest on a 

 tree, and lays two clear blue eggs. 



I saw less of the Whistling or " Fluting " Heron than 

 of any of the seven species I was acquainted with in 

 La Plata. About its habits I found out nothing, and 

 on that account I should have omitted all mention 

 of it that being the rule in this book if its strange 

 beauty had not charmed and made a lasting impres- 

 sion on my mind. The stuffed specimens, from 

 which the description is taken, do not show the 

 colours of the living bird the soft clear grey and 

 primrose yellow most delicate colours and rarely 

 seen in a bird of this size. In the museum specimens 

 the primrose yellow fades to white with a dull 

 yellowish tinge. 



LITTLE BLUE HERON 



Butorides cyanurus 



Above blue grey; beneath ash-colour; black crest with greenish 

 gloss ; ferruginous spots on the neck ; length 14 inches. 



THE Little Blue Heron, though widely distributed, 

 is not anywhere a common bird. I have always 

 seen it singly, for it loves a hermit-life, and the 



