ARDEIDJ'] — THE IIKllONS — FLORIDA. 



46 



Xn. 3040, i iidult, Liljerty Co., GeorKiii, lias the iHU'iiml liliui pluinago, exccjit that three of 

 ilm si'i'inidaiu's (lU each side, niiil weveial ol' the l'eutlier.s of tlie liase of the wiii(,' near its junction 

 Willi till' l>otly (mostly concealed liy the overhaiij,'iiij,' scapulais), are pure white. It is a noteworthy 

 111 I lliat iu this s))ecinieli these white feathers are (greatly ahrailed, while the rest of the jduniajie, 

 iiiiliidiiif,' the iukniediately adjacent renii.Ljes, have the fresh texture of new feathers. It is also a 

 cinuiiistance of imiiortance that on the two sides of this sjiecinien, a- M-ell as of all other [larticolored 

 i\iiniiilt's which we have seen, the pattern is symmetrical ; that is, the two colors correspond in 

 lliiir (li>tril)Utiou and patteru on the two opposite sides, there not beinj,' that iwyminetry of 

 |ialleni almost always seen in alhinescent hiiHls. 



Spi'cimens from Demerara are ratlier smaller than others, hut the difference is very 8li;,'ht (not 

 nearly so ;,'reat as in the case of Uiidnnni.-iHd Irirular and (landta atiuUdminM), while, so far as we 

 can see, there is no constant dilference in c(jlorati(jn. 



Nearly, if not <|uite, all specimens in the white plumage have a more or less j)erceptible tin{,'e 

 (if pcarl-hlut! on the pileum. Many adults have a well-ilelined plumbeous-lilue stripe down the 

 tlirnat and foreneck. 



That the vounj,' of this species is not always white, and the adult invariably plumbeous, as has 

 ^'pncrally been supposed, is <onclusively ])roven by the series we have been enabled to examine ; 

 till' true state of the case beinj,' that the white and blue plumaj^es, usually suitjiosed to rejiresent 

 respectively the younj,' and adult staf,'es, are in reality "dichromatic" i>hases. The ease, although 

 p;ii'allcl in its nature to that of Dirlirniiinnassit rttfa, differs, however, in the circumstance that the 

 white phase is seldom perfectly developed, while intermediate specimens are very much more 

 iiuiiierous. 



Audubon thus describes the successive chanj,'es of plumaf,'e in this species, as understood by 

 liiiM : 1 — 



"The youu},' bird is at first almost destitute of feathers, but scantily covered with yellowish- 

 wliile down. When fully ileuyed, its bill and lei,'s are yreenish-black, and its jilumaHe |uii'e white, 

 III' sliL;htly filliped with cream color, the tijis of the three outer primaries lij,dit j,'rayisli-blue. Of this 

 color the liird remains until tlu^ breedinj^ sea.son, when, howe\fr, some individuals exhibit a few 

 stiM,u;,']iiij,' pale-blue feathei-s. When they have entered on their second year, these youn^' birds 

 licidiue spotted with deeper blue on some ])arts of the body, or on the head ami neck, thus appearinj^ 

 siiif,'ularly patched with that color and pure white ; the fornu'r iui'reasin;,' with the aj,'e of tlie bird 

 in so remarkable a manm-r, that you may see s[)ecimeiis with portions even of tiii' pendant feathers 

 iif their head and shoulders so marked. And these are produced liy full moultin^'s ; by which 1 

 mean the unexpected appearance, as it were, of feathers i^'rowin^.' out of the skin of the bird colored 

 eutiiely blue, as is the case in many of our land birds. In all these staj^'es of jdumai,'e, and from 

 the first sprin;,' after birth, the younj,' binls breed with others, as is e((ually the case with Ardca 

 nijiso Hs. You may see a jture white individual paired with one of a full blue color, or with one 

 patched with blue and white." 



Tiio lUuo Egret is a Soutlioru species, imich more abundant in the (riilf States 

 than farther north, yet breeding along the Atlantic States as far nortli as New Jer- 

 sey, and straggling, in niidsiunnier, even as far eastward as Massaclmsetts. It is 

 found tliroughout Mexico, Central America, and in tin* more northern portions " 

 Soutli America, as far south as the Mercedes iJivcr and the l\io Negro. It is also 

 tomid in nearly or (juite all the West India Islands, and is a visitant of Bermuda 

 liiitli in the spring and in the fall. 



This bird was found iit Coban in Guatemala by ^Ir. Salvin. and is also sjioken of 

 as conunon near Omoa by Mr. Leylaml. Mv. E. C. Taylm- mentions it as abundant 

 in Trinidad, especially near the month of the Caroni Kiver. He afterward found it 

 enninion at Porto Rico. Leotaud iilso sjieaks of it as common in Trinidad — in fact, 

 the nn)st common of the Egret Herons found there. It frequents the borders of the 

 sea, and the banks of the rivers near their outlets. This species is said to seek its 



1 Birds of America, VI. p. ir>2. 



