M. 



10 ALTUirrAI, fiHAr.LATOHKS- HKHoniON'KS. 



KhmmiIhIi I'mssiaii blui'. Tluy mcuMiii'i' 'J.'JH inclifs in k'iit,'th l»y I.H5 inches in 



lUfillltll. 



Mr. \. II. .Mtidiv (Ir-oMis it iii;,'lilv |iri>lnililf tliat liii' hinls now Htandinp,' as A. Wiir- 

 lirmiiinil may innvc to !«• only a ran' ami (•l('j,'ant variety oi' /iiniiUns. He was liii 

 to tliiri (■onciiisiitii l)y t-.xamininK'. at. a ilistaiu'c of alxmt a iinn<lri'<l yards, a tiork ot 

 Herons wiiii'li sermnl to iiim to rorn'S|ion(i with tlir ili'scription of this ran> variety, 

 ami yet to li;' ratlier varieties of, tlian a spt'cies ditferinj,' from, tlie tnu- /ii rut/Ins. We 

 ai)riil;,'e iiis acconnt : Seated in shade of a huneli of "saw-nniss," near a ]>ond uhoiit 

 iialf a niih' from Sarasota Hay, Keli. I'O. 1H74, lie saw a (Jreat JMne Heron dewend ami 

 |iereii on a Imsli. Ity tiie aid of a s|iy-t,dass he was 'ii)h' to see, on wiiat seemed to lie 

 a trne .1. /irrni/lns, an oceipital wiiite plnme nearly ioni' inches in len^'th. In a few 

 miinites three others appeared ; one had a head that was pnre white in every part, 

 and occipital pinnies of the same color, sI.k or seven inches lonj,'. 



He spent the remainder ot the day watching their movements, and at altont snn- 

 down the stranp' liirds rose and Hew away towards the north without coniin;,' within 

 the roach of his },'nn or nearer than ahont ei{,'hty yards. During five hcnirs of obser- 

 vation he saw it in every position and under every jiossiiile direction of siinheam and 

 shadow. The heail was entirely a pure white, as were also the occipital streamers. 

 The lower i)arts appeared to l»e white.' than those of its adult (omiianion. The 

 ui)per ]tarts of shonlders, hack, and lanceolate plumes seemed rather li},diter ami 

 nuu'o silvery than those (d' the other. The tibial feathers in both were riifons, ami 

 lK)th iiad black at the lower neck where uncovered at the carpus. The upper parts 

 of the neck in both were washed in cinnamon, and both had the m'ck below an ashy 

 lilae. llail he seen it by itself or in any other eomjiany than .1. /irrtK/lun, he would 

 have unhesitatin^dy rcj,'arded it as an elc.ifant specimen of .1. \\'iir<l(iii(iiiiil. 



Aiiplyin^^ what he considers a never-failing' test — the habits of Herons in general 

 when in company with those of their own sjiecics — .Mr. .Moore was sure that this 

 bird was an .1. /irrm/ins.^ At this season this bird, the most unsocial of all the Jleroiis, 

 will admit to the same pond, to feed in si^dit of it, one or more of its kind ; but its 

 disposition to tease and harass all but its mate is occasionally exliibited, and oceurred 

 repeatedly here. These appeared to be migrants moving north. One was a young 

 bird of the first year. None <d' the others attempted to annoy it until it chanced to 

 pierce a siren, when the master bird, in the true dress of an herodius, rushed at it 

 and caused it to liberate its |)rey. The one with a white head when pursued seemed 

 to act as if in deference to its companion, and to ap|)roacli it, though not very near. 

 On being teased it seemed to submit, as if well acquainted with its ojjpressor. These 

 Herons came from the south, were evidently strangers, and moved on toward the 

 north. The young bird was the last to leave, but soon followed its companions. 



Ardea Ward! 



WABD'S GREAT BLUE HEBON. 



AnUa fVnnU, Rid«w. Bull. Niitt. Oni. Club, Vol. VII. No. 1, January, 1882, p. 5 (Oyster Bay, Soutli- 

 western Florida). 



Sp. Char. Colored jilinse cxixctly like A. Wiirdemanni (=: dark plinse of .4. occidentalis ?), but 

 with the liead colored as in A. hrodias. Dlflering from hcrodias in nuich larger size (culmeii, 



• Mr. Moore's observations in respect to this matter do not correspond at all with the experience nf 

 others. His inferences are duubtless incorrect, and the birds he saw were in all probability A. " IFilrdc- 

 manni" ami A. Wardi. — U. K. 



•»». 



