HERONS AND BITTERNS. 



135 





generally seen in flocks. With A. candidisnimn they lack the patience 

 of the larger Herons and pursue their i)rey in shallow water. 



199. Ardea tricolor mflcolliS {(ioxne). Louisiana Heron. Ad. 

 — Upper parts durk bluUli slute-color; buck ot tlie lieud and uppir neck witli 

 elongated eliestnut-rutbiis and white feathers; back with pah- lirowni.sii t'ray 

 "aigrette" plumes reaehing to the tail; lower baek, rump, and belly white; 

 neck bluish slate-eolor; throat wliite, an indistinct rufous line down the mid- 

 dle of the forenec'k ; legs blackish ; base of the bill and lores bluish. Jm. — 

 Tliroat, and an indistinct line down tlie foreneck, white; rest of the liead and 

 neck brownisii rufous ; uiiper back and w ings bluish slate-color, more or less 

 washed with lirowiii^h rufous ; no plumes ; lower back, rump, ami belly white ; 

 breast with more or less slaty streaks; legs yellow bchinil, blackish bef(.)re ; 

 lower mandible and lores orange ; upper mandible black. L,, 2ij-UU ; W., lU'UO ; 

 Tar., 3-70 ; B., SM. 



JiaiKje. — Central America and West Indies northward to the (iulf Stales; 

 casually to Long Island. 



Long Island, A. V., one record. 



i\V»^ a platform of sticks, in colonies, in buslics over water /iV/y-S f"i"" 

 to live, pale, dull blue, VT") x 1-85. 



A coniinon s[)cpics in Florida, whore it is found both singly and in 

 flocks. It is somotinies a slow, stoalthy feeder, and at otliers dasiies 

 for its prey. 



800* Ardea CCBrulea Llmi. Litti.k P.i.ik IIkuon. .r/.— Head and 

 neck maroon- chestnut ; rest of the plumage dark bluish slati!-color ; ibter- 

 8cai>ulars and lower neck feathers lengthened and narrowly pointed; lores 

 blue; legs and feet black. Iiii. — White, tiie plumage sometimes more or less 

 washed with slaty; tin tijix of tin- privmrlix <ihr<iyK liluish xlnW-cnlor ; legs, 

 feet, and lores <jrcmixh y,llow. L., 22m)0; W., \i\-i:)\ Tar., :;-7"; H., -Vm. 



7i'( ;««/•/•.•(.— IJetween the young and a<lult there is every stage of inter- 

 gradation of color, some specimens being irregularly markc(l with bhic and. 

 white in alxuit e(iual i>r<iportions. Voum.' birds are sonietimis mistiikcn for 

 Snowy Herons, but can always be distinguished by the 'jrccnisli ydlow legs 

 and slaty tips of the prinuu'ies. 



/iVn(;;< .-Tropical and temperate Aineri-ii. bree(lini.r as far north as south- 

 ern Illinois and N'irginia; iilUr the breeding season wanders jiorlli ward, some- 

 times reaehinij Nova Scotia. 



WasliiuLTton, casual in .luly and Au^rust ; .'sometimes (piite couunon. Long 

 Island, rare from .Vpi. to Sept. 



\vd^ a platform of sticks, in colonies, in bushes o\cr \\at<'r. I'.ijij", three 

 to four, pale, dull blue. I'TU x l-;jo. 



Thanks to their lark of "aigrette" plutnos liittlo Blue Herons are 

 probably the tnost coinnion Ih'roiis in I-'loriila to-day. They arc gen- 

 erally found ill flocks. sonuM lines coiiiposod entirely of hlue adults, 

 sometimes of white, immature birds, and at others both young and old 

 are associated. The white birds resemble A. (•(nidtdmsima, but the 



