BIRDS OF PENNSYLVANIA. 61 



snails, frogs and lizards, to which fare it also adds at times the seeds of 

 the pond lilies and other aquatic plants." In April, 1885, 1 visited an 

 island in a small lake in Orange county, Florida, where this species, also 

 the Louisiana, Little Blue, and Green Herons, were breeding on low 

 bushes. I shot seven Snowy Herons, and found in the viscera of all 

 only the remains of fish. 



Ardea tricolor ruficollis (GossE.). 



Louisiana Heron. 



DESCRIPTION. 



Adult in breeding season. Bill four inches or a little more in length, and very 

 slender. Bill (dried skin) bluish-black, and yellowish about base ; lores and naked 

 skin around eyes yellowish ; eyes reddish-yellow ; legs dusky bluish-yellow. The 

 three or four longer occipital plumes, lower part of back, rump, sides, under parts 

 generally, edge of wing, axillars, lining of wings, chin and upper part of throat, 

 white ; front and top of head, sides of same, malar region, and most of feathers on 

 sides of long neck, bluish-slate color; upper tail coverts white and bluish ; greater 

 part of crest, lower portion and back of neck reddish-purple. Long fine scapular 

 plumes, light brownish gray, quite pale at ends ; the white throat is continuous with 

 a reddish-brown streak (brightest on upper third of neck) which narrows and be- 

 comes less distinct, as it extends down in front. The young are never white as in 

 Ardea cosrulea : they lack the long occipital plumes, also the fine scapular feathers ; 

 the head and neck light brownish-red ; chin, throat and malar region white ; neck 

 in front streaked with white and brownish. Length about 27 inches; extent about 

 36 inches. 



Habitat. Gulf states, Mexico, Central America and West Indies, casually north- 

 ward to New Jersey and Indiana. 



The Louisiana Heron, more or less abundant in many of the south 

 Atlantic and gulf states, I have never seen in Pennsylvania, where it 

 has been observed only as a rare or accidental visitor in the late summer 

 or autumn. 



Stragglers have been seen, at irregular intervals, by the following 

 named gentlemen in their respective localities : Dr. John W. Detwiller, 

 Bethlehem,Northainpton county ; D.Frank Keller, Beading, Berks county, 

 and Dr. W. Yan Fleet, Benovo, Clinton county. This handsome bird, and 

 one which is particularly graceful in its movements, I found breeding in 

 company with other species on low bushes in Florida, in March and 

 April, 1885. Their rather flat nests were made entirely of small sticks. 

 The bluish-green eggs, three to five in number, measure about 1.75 inches 

 long and a little more than 1.25 inches broad. The viscera of eleven of 

 these birds, which were killed at this nesting place, contained fish, frogs 

 and snails. 



