ARDKID-T^ — TIIK IIKUOXS — FI,i )i:il)A. 43 



extremes. Bill slender, acute, appreciably curved toward the tip, tlie culmeu somewhat depressed 

 just above the anterior end of the nostril ; lower edge of the mandibular rami slightly concave, 

 the gonys nearly straight, but ascending ; anterior point of the malar feathers reaching just about 

 as far forward as that of the frontal feathei'S, and very far posterior to the posterior end of the 

 nostril ; anterior point of chin feathers almost directly beneath the anterior end of the nostril, and 

 a little over two tliirds the distance from the miiUlle of the eye to the point of tlie bill. Toes li>ng, 

 the middle one two thir<ls, or more, as long as the tarsus, the hallux a little less than half its 

 length ; bare portion of tiljia consideralily less than the miildle toe. Tarsal scutella) as in Ganetta 

 and Ilemdias. 



Nuptial jilumes (occi|iital, jugular, and scapular) long, slenderly lanceolate, the welis rather 

 compact, especially those of the doi-sal region ; those of the back reaching, when fully developed, 

 far beyond the tail. 



Florida ceerulea. 



THE LITTLE BLUE HERON, 



Ardca cccruha, C.\TEsnY, Carolina, I. 1731, pi. 7ii (liliie ,idult). 



ffcron blciidtrc dc Cmjcnnc, I'l'FF. I'l. ICid. 1770-S4, pi. 349 (blue adult). 



Ardca ccerulca, LiXK. S. N. ed. 10, 1758, 14-3, no. 13 {ex Brown, Jam. 478; Catesby, I.e.), I. 1766, 



238, no. 17. — WiLs. Am. Orn. VII. 1813, 117, pi. 62. — Nutt. Man. II. 1834, 58. — Aun. 



Orn. Biog. I\'. 1838, 58, pi. 307 ; Synop. 1839, 266 ; B. Am. VI. 1S43, 148, pi. 372. — CoUES, 



Key, 1872, 268 ; Check List, 1873, no. 456. 

 Florida ccerulca, HAinn, Birds N. Am. 1858, 671 ; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, no. 490. — Ridgw. Xoni. 



N. Am. B. 1881, no. 493. — CouES, Check List, 2d ed. 1882, no. 662. 

 Blicc ffcron, var. A., L.\TII. Synop. III. 1785, 79 (blue adult. Quotes PI. Enl. 349). 

 Ardca cccrulcscens, L.vrn. Ind. Orn. 11. 1790, 690, no. 49 (based on the above). 

 Lc Orabicr bleu a con bruit, Buff. Ois. VII. 399 (blue adult). 

 Blue Heron, Lath. Synop. III. 1785, 78 ((\\\ot(is Ardea cocrulcn , Linn.). 



? Lillle White Heron, var. B., Lath. Synop. III. 1785, 94 (Moxieo. Probably young white bird). 

 Ardca ardcsiacea, Lf.ss. Traite, I. 1831, 575 (Cayenne. Individual in pied plumage). 

 Ecrodias Poiichtti, Boxap. Consp. II. 1855, 123 (blue adult). 



" Egrella nivcu," GossE, Birds Jam. 1847, 334 ; Illustr. B. Jam. pi. 90 (young white bird). 

 Ardca ccerulca, vai-. alba, Reichenow, J. f. 0. July, 1877, 264 (white phase). 

 Ardca cmrulca, var. cyannpus, Reichenow, I.e. (intermediate, or pied, phase. Ex Ardca cyanopus, 



G.MEL. S. N. I. ii. 1788, 644). 

 Ardca mexieana cincrca, Bkiss. Orn. V. 1760, 404 (intermediate phase). 

 Ardca amcricana dnerca, Bmss. t.c. 406. 

 Ardca cancrojthagiis brasiHen.tL<!, Briss. t.c. 479. 

 Ardca cludybea, Stephens, Shaw's Gen. Zool. XI. ii. 1S19, 582. 



Hab. Warm-temperate eastern North America, the whole of the West Indies and Middle 

 America, ami northern South America ; north to Massachusetts, Illinois, Kansas, etc. ; south to 

 New Granada and Guiana. 



Sp. Char. Length, about 20.00-25.00 inches ; expanse, 40.00-42.00 ; wing, 9.00-10.60 ; tail, 

 3.60-4.70 ; culmen, 2.70-.3.30 ; depth of bill, .45-..55 ; tarsus, 3.15-4.00; niidtlle toe, 2.35-2.60 ; 

 bare portion of tibia, 2.00-2.90. Weight, about U-Ui ounces. 



Itliite phase. 



Adidt : Prevailing color white, with the ends of several outer ]irimaries plumbeous, the jdumage 

 tinged here and there (in quantity varying with the individual) with delicate pale bluish pearl- 

 gray. Colors of the soft parts as in the blue adult. Young : Similar to the adult, but wdth the 

 plumes absent or but slightly developed. Bill pale lilaceous, becoming gradually lilack on ter- 

 minal third ; legs and feet uniform pea-green, lighter and brighter than in the blue phase ; iris 

 Naples yellow. 1 



1 Fresh colors of a specimen killed August 6, near Washington, D. C. 



