ARDEA V1RESCENS. 415 



I1AIUTS. 



The Little Blue Herons are, without exception, the most agile of the family, springing 

 into air when startled, with the ease of a Snipe, anil when once on the wing, moving with 

 great rapidity. These birds exhibit a decided predilection for inland waters, running about 



1 lie margins of the lakes and rivers, or walking over the aquatic plants which float on the 

 surface, in order to catch fishes, frogs, or insects. It is a noticeable fact, that birds in the 

 white plumage are much tamer than those in the blue, but this may be accounted for, by 

 fact, that the light colored specimens are all young. It is also quite rare to see a blue bird 

 without companions, while the while are more solitary, and a single individual will often 

 haunt a certain spot for months. Thus, there was one at Blue Spring, which was accus- 

 tomed to fish in a small stream that was about half a mile long, and the bird never lei't it, 

 even roosting at night in the high trees that overhung the water. These Herons breed 

 while in the white plumage, and also when passing from one stage to the other. There 

 can be no doubt but what the white birds are all comparatively young, for although they 

 often acquire the long plumes when thus colored, they invariably assume the blue livery, 

 as a final dress; but on the other hand, I do not think that any are blue from birth, they 

 all, according to my experience which has been very large, for I have examined hundreds 

 of specimens, pass through the white phase of plumage. . These little Herons are accus- 

 tomed to wander considerably and I have even met with them in Massachusetts, where, 

 however, they are only stragglers. 



ARDEA VIBESCENS. 



Little Green Heron. 

 Ardea vircicens LINN, Syst. Nat., I; 17fi6, 238. 



DESCRIPTION. 



SP. Cn. Form, robust. Size, very small. Tongue, very long, slender, and narrowing gradually to tip which is point- 

 ed. Head, neck, hack, und breast, provided with lanceolate plumes. Lower fourth of tibia, nuked. 



COLOR. Adult. Top of head and upper parts, dark-brown, glossed with green on all but quills which are tinged with 

 bluish as are also the plumes on back. Wing feathers, edged with reddish and tipped with white. Neck, chestnut-red, 

 streaked in a line in front, with white and dusky. Beneath, ashy, tinged with yellowish. Iris and feet, yellow. Naked 

 space in front of eyes and bill, brown and yellow. 



Youny. Similar to the adult but lack the plumes; the feathers of the upper parts are edged with reddish, and the 

 neck aud lower parts are streaked with dusky. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



Readily known by the small size and greenish glossing above. Distributed, in summer, throughout the United States. 

 Winters in Florida. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of specimens from Eastern North America. Length, 17'50, stretch, 24'25; wing, 7'25; tail, 

 J 7">; bill, 2 20; tarsus, 2'45. Longest specimen, I1I-30; greatest extent of wing, 28 00; longest wing, 7 P 85; tail, 3'00; bill, 



2 40; tarsus, 2'90. Shortest specimen, 15'50; smallest extent of wing, 20-oO; shortest, wing, 6'75; tail, 2 - 35; bill, 2'00; tar- 

 sus, 2-00. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests, placed in trees or bushes, compoM-d of sticks, luocly arranged. Eyy*, three to five in number, elliptical in 

 form, greenish-blue in color, unspotted. Dimensions from 1'lOx 1'45 to l'25x T60. 



II. MUTS. 



The Little Green Herons are known to all who have ever rowed a boat on any of our 

 creeks or rivers, or walked along their margins, for these birds are common from Canada 



