THE GREY HERON. 243 



Order IX. HERODIONES. 



Family ARDEIDJE. 

 Genus AKDEA, Linn. 



608. AEDEA CINEREA. 

 THE GREY HERON. 



Ardea cinerea, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 230 ; Jerd. B. Ind. ii. p. 741 ; Hume, Nests 

 and Eggs, p. 610 ; Scdvad. Ucc. Born. p. 344 ; Bl. B. Burm. p. Io9 ; Hume, 8. F. 

 iii. p. 190; Dresser, Birds Eur. vi. p. 207, pi.; David et Oust. Ois. Chine, 

 p. 437; Hume 8f Dav. S. F. vi. p. 472; Hume, S. F. viii. p. 114; Legge, Birds 

 Ceylon, p. 1127 ; Gates, S. F. x. p. 243. 



Description. Male. Forehead, a streak over the lores as far as the eye 

 and the anterior portion of the crown white ; posterior part of crown, nape 

 and an ample occipital crest of pointed feathers bluish black ; two longer 

 and firmer feathers spring from the crown and slightly exceed the occipital 

 crest in length ; chin, throat and sides of the head white ; fore neck white, 

 the inner webs of the feathers streaked with black ; feathers at base of 

 neck long and narrow, a delicate rufous-grey ; sides of the body, axillaries 

 and under wing-coverts bluish grey, the latter tipped with greyish white ; 

 centre of the breast and the whole abdomen pure white ; a large patch on 

 either side the breast continued as a broad band to the thighs bluish 

 black ; vent mingled white and bluish ; under tail-coverts white ; back and 

 sides of the neck pale rufous-grey ; back, rump, upper tail-coverts and tail 

 bluish grey ; primaries, secondaries, primary-coverts and winglet dark 

 bluish black ; edge of the wing white ; tertiaries, lesser and median coverts 

 bluish grey edged paler ; greater coverts bluish grey on the outer and dark 

 brownish grey on the inner webs ; the larger scapulars bluish grey, darker 

 at the tips ; the feathers of the shoulders and the upper scapulars long and 

 disintegrated, bluish grey with white central streaks. 



The female differs in being of duller colours and in having the plumes 

 less lengthened. 



Bill yellow, darker at the base of the upper mandible; eyelids and 

 orbital skin greyish brown ; a patch of yellow skin between the eye and 

 the bill ; iris yellow ; tarsus and toes dark brown ; claws black ; tibia fleshy 

 brown ; underside of toes yellow. 



Length 39 inches, tail 7, wing 18, tarsus 6, bill from gape 6'1. 



The Common Heron is spread over the whole of Burmah in the dry 

 weather, and it probably breeds in this country. I do not remember, how- 

 ever, to have met with it in the rains. 



