Heron. GRALLATORES. ARDEA. 17 
occasionally upon the smaller Mammalia that come within 
its reach. 
Prater 3. Represents the male, in the plumage of maturity, 
and about three-fourths of the size of nature. 
The bill (except the culmen, which is brown) is of a fine 
gamboge-yellow ; lores the same; irides pale yellow. 
The head, and occipital crest (which is formed of long 
acuminated feathers) are ink-black, in some lights tinged 
with green. A list of black also runs from the back 
part of the neck, for about two-thirds of its length. 
From the posterior angle of the mouth, a narrow list of 
black proceeds backwards to the nape, and another 
down each side of the neck. The front of the neck is 
spotted with black, white, and purplish-red. The 
plumes towards the bottom of the neck are long and 
acuminate, of a pale grey, or greyish-white colour, 
tinged with purple. The space behind the eyes, and 
the sides of the neck (with the exception of the black 
lists) are of a rich reddish-brown. The chin and throat 
pure white. The shoulders are adorned with feathers 
of a rich reddish-brown, tinged with lavender-purple. 
The breast purplish-red. The margins of the wings 
are white. 'The back, wing-coverts, flanks, and tail are 
grey, tinged with purple and green. The scapulars 
are long, semi-laciniated, and of a deep lavender-purple. 
The belly and abdomen are greyish-black. The thighs 
reddish-brown. The naked part of the tibia, the hin- 
der part of the tarsus, and under parts of the toes, are 
yellow. The front of the tarsus, and upper parts of 
the toes, are brown, tinged with yellowish-green. The 
nails are long, semi-falcate, and black. 
The young, until three years old, are without the occipi- 
tal crest, as well as the elongated feathers at the base 
of the neck, and in the scapulars. The chin is white, 
the forehead blackish-grey; the crown and occiput grey, 
VOL. IL. B 
General 
descrip- 
tion. 
