BIRDS OF NEW YORK 253 



flat structure composed of dead grass and flags, the tops of the sedges about 

 it usually being bent down to form a screen above the eggs after the manner 

 of rails. The eggs are from four to seven in number, of a light greenish 

 white, elliptical in shape, about 1.23 x .92 inches in dimensions. The young 

 are quite downy but not thoroughly ptilopaedic and remain in the nest 

 for some time. 



Ixobrychus neoxenus (Cory) 

 Cory Least Bittern 



Distinguishing marks. Neck and wing coverts rich chestnut; under parts rufous or light chestnut; 

 under tail coverts black; males have no light stripe on side of back. Size of e x i 1 i s . 



This species or color phase, whichever it is, has been taken several times at Toronto, and its 

 nest found there. Although no specimens have been reported from New York it should occur on 

 the Niagara river and along the southern shore of Lake Ontario. 



Ardea herodias Linnaeus 

 Great Blue Heron 



Plate 24 



Ardea herodias Linnaeus. Syst. Nat. Ed. 10. i75». i:i43 



DeKay. Zool. N. Y. 1844. pt 2, p. 219, fig. 184 

 A. O. U. Check List. Ed. 2. 1895. No. 194 



ar'dea, Lat., a heron; hero'dias, misspelled for Gr. ^/xo&os and Lat. herodius, 



a heron 



Description. Adult breeding season: Top of head, cheeks and chin 

 white; sides of crown and occipital crest black; neck light purplish gray, 

 the throat line streaked with black, white and rusty; upper parts mostly 

 slaty blue ; wing feathers deepening to black on the outer primaries ; scapular 

 and pectoral plumes largely pearl-gray; under parts largely black streaked 

 with white; tibia and edge of wing chestnut-brown; bill and iris mostly 

 yellow, the former dusky along the ridge, loral space blue; legs blackish. 

 Young: Top of head blackish, no pearl-gray plumes; upper parts more of 

 a grayish blue tinged with rusty, especially on the wing coverts; the black 

 of the under parts replaced by ashy gray. 



Length 42-50 inches; extent 68-74; wing 18-20; tail 7-8; bill 4.5-6.5; 

 tibiae bare 3-4; tarsus 6-8; middle toe and claw 5; weight 6-8 poimds. 

 Young in the fall from 3.5 to 5 pounds. 



Distribution. The Great blue heron is a common and well known tran- 

 sient visitant in all parts of New York, and is locally a summer resident on 

 Long Island as well as in western, central and northern New York. Breed- 



