HERON. GRALLATORES. ARDEA. 17 



occasionally upon the smaller Mammalia that come within 

 its reach. 



PLATE 3. Represents the male, in the plumage of maturity, 



and about three-fourths of the size of nature. 

 The bill (except the culmen, which is brown) is of a fine General 

 gamboge-yellow ; lores the same ; irides pale yellow. 

 The head, and occipital crest (which is formed of long 

 acuminated feathers) are ink-black, in some lights tinged 

 with green. A list of black also runs from the back 

 part of the neck, for about two-thirds of its length. 

 From the posterior angle of the mouth, a narrow list of 

 black proceeds backwards to the nape, and another 

 down each side of the neck. The front of the neck is 

 spotted with black, white, and purplish-red. The 

 plumes towards the bottom of the neck are long and 

 acuminate, of a pale grey, or greyish-white colour, 

 tinged with purple. The space behind the eyes, and 

 the sides of the neck (with the exception of the black 

 lists) are of a rich reddish-brown. The chin and throat 

 pure white. The shoulders are adorned with feathers 

 of a rich reddish-brown, tinged with lavender-purple. 

 The breast purplish-red. The margins of the wings 

 are white. The back, wing-coverts, flanks, and tail are 

 grey, tinged with purple and green. The scapulars 

 are long, semi-laciniated, and of a deep lavender-purple. 

 The belly and abdomen are greyish-black. The thighs 

 reddish-brown. The naked part of the tibia, the hin- 

 der part of the tarsus, and under parts of the toes, are 

 yellow. The front of the tarsus, and upper parts of 

 the toes, are brown, tinged with yellowish-green. The 

 nails are long, semi-falcate, and black. 

 The young, until three years old, are without the occipi- 

 tal crest, as well as the elongated feathers at the base 

 of the neck, and in the scapulars. The chin is white, 

 the forehead blackish-grey; the crown and occiput grey, 



VOL. II. B 



