ARBEID^B. 355 



three feet, the average of the Common Heron. The 

 following description is taken from Yarrell : " The 

 adult bird has the beak greenish brown, darkest in 

 colour towards the point ; the lore naked and green ; 

 irides bright yellow ; the feathers of the top of the 

 head pale yellow-brown, streaked longitudinally with 

 dark lines, the feathers becoming elongated towards 

 the occiput, with a dark line along each outer edge ; 

 the feathers forming the occipital plume are eight or 

 nine in number, and from four to six inches in length, 

 lanceolated, pointed, pure white along the centre, 

 bounded on each side with a black line, with a very 

 narrow terminal margin of white ; the sides, front of 

 the neck at the bottom and the back rich buff colour ; 

 interscapulars reddish brown; the feathers of the 

 back elongated, the webs disunited, each filament 

 having the appearance of a single hair ; the colour 

 of a pale reddish brown in those upon the surface, 

 passing into a delicate buff-colour, in those under- 

 neath the wings white, the ends of some of the 

 coverts and tertials being tinged with buff; rump, 

 upper tail-coverts and tail-feathers white; chin, 

 throat and belly, under surface of the wings, axillary 

 plume, vent and under surface of the tail-feathers 

 pure white ; legs yellowish brown ; toes brown above, 

 yellow underneath ; claws black. In a younger bird 

 the descending dusky grey streaks on the feathers of 

 the neck are longer and broader, and the lighter 

 ground-colour more mixed with brown ; the wing- 



