14 



ALTRICIAL GRALLA.TORES — HERODIONES. 



II. 1835, 87 ; V. 1839, 599, pi. 211 ; Syuop. 1839, 265 ; B. Am. VI. 1843, 122, pi. 369. — BAir,D, 

 B. N. Am. 18.58, 668; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, no. 487. — CouE.s, Key, 1872, 267; Check Li.st, 

 1873, no. 449 ; 2d ed. 1882, no. 655 ; Birds N. W. 1874, 517. — RiDGW. Norn. N. Am. B. 1881, 

 no. 487. 

 Ardea Budsonias, LiNX. S. N. I. 1766, 238. 



Hab. The whole of North anil Middle America, excepting Arctic districts; north to Hudson's 

 Bay, " Fur Countries," and Sitka ; south to New Granada, Venezuela, and the Galapagos ; Bermu- 

 das, and throughout the West Indies. 



Sp. Char. Adult : Length, about 42.0O-,5().00 ; extent, 72.00 ; weight, b to 8 pounds. Fore- 

 liead and central feathers of the crown pure white ; sides of crown and whole of the occiput, 

 including the long plumes, blue-black. Chin, throat, and malar region pure white. Neck 

 lavender-gray, fading gradually above into the white of cheeks and throat. Foreneck with a 

 narrow medial series of black and ferruginous dashes mixed with white ; lower neck-plumes pale 

 lavender-gray. Lateral jugular tufts uniforni blue-black ; breast and abdomen black, almost uni- 



form laterally, but the middle feathers with broad medial stripes of white. Crissum white, the 

 feathers sometimes edged with rufous. Tibial feathers deep chestnut-rufous, not growing conspicu- 

 ously paler toward the body. Upper parts fine slate-blue, the dorsal and scapular plumes paler, 

 more pearl-gray, — the lightness of the tint proportionate to the lengtli of the plume ; remiges 

 black, the inner secondaries growing gradually more slaty, so that the innernmst are scarcely 

 darker than the tertials. Tail deep slate-blue, a shade darker than the tertials. Entire border of 

 the wing, from the armpit to the metacarpo-phalangeal joint, rich purplish-rufous, scarcely mixed 

 anywhere with white, and much the widest at the bend. Bill olive above, the culmen blackish ; 

 lower mandible wax-yellow, brighter terminally (sometimes wholly yellow) ; iris bright yellow ; 

 bare loral space cobalt-lilue in spring, olive-greenish or yellowisli after Ineeding .season. Lrrjs and 

 fed dushj-black throurihout. Yovnij : Above slate-gray (less bluish than in the aihilt), destitute of 

 any penicillate plumes ; anterior lesser wing-coverts bordered tennirially with light rufous ; border 

 of the wing (broadly) white, more or less tinged with rufous, especially at and near the bend, 

 where this color prevails. Entire pileum, including all the occipital feathers, blackish-slate, with 

 a narrow median crest of more elongated darker-colored feathers, with pale fulvous shaft-streaks. 

 Cheeks dark grayish ; malar region, chin, and throat only, pure white. Neck dull gray, some- 

 times tinged with rufous, some of the feathers with indistinctly lighter shaft-streaks ; foreneck 

 with a narrow longitudinal series of black, rufous, and whitish dashes, much as in the adult. 

 Breast and abdomen broadly striped with dark cinereous and white, in nearly equal amount 



