THE BIRD-LIFE OF LONDON 



branches, from time to time flying backwards and for- 

 wards, whilst every now and then birds come up from 

 the river or depart in quest of food. 



The adult Heron has a broad black stripe on each side 

 of the head, reaching on to the nape, where it forms a 

 long, drooping crest of several narrow plumes ; a series 

 of black spots extends down the fore neck, extending into 

 a broad black stripe on each side of the breast and 

 abdomen ; the primaries, secondaries and primary coverts 

 are greyish black ; the remaining wing-coverts, the 

 flanks, rump, upper tail-coverts, tail, scapulars, and mantle 

 are delicate slate-grey ; the lower back is of the same 

 colour, the feathers white at the tip and prolonged into 

 a plume, as are the feathers on the lower neck ; the re- 

 mainder of the plumage is white. Bill and naked skin 

 at the base yellow ; tarsi and toes brown ; irides yellow. 

 Length 36 inches. The female has not quite so long 

 a crest as the male. In the young in first plumage the 

 crest is very short, the upper parts are suffused with 

 brown, the elongated plumes on the back and neck are 

 wanting, and the black on the breast and abdomen is 

 replaced by greyish brown. 



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