228 BULLETIN UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SUKVEY. 



b. Blue phase. 



Ardea tciirdemannii, Baird, B. N. Am. 1858, 669 (Sonth Florida) ; ed. 1860, pi. — ; Cat. N. 



Am. B. 1859, n. 483. — March, Pr. Pbila. Acad. xvi. 1864, 64 (J-imaica). — Coues, 



Key, 187-2, 267 ; Check List, 1873, 87, n. 450.— Wyman, Forest and Stream, Sept. 



25, 1873, 105 (" wa*-deni-aKm"). — Nels. Bull. Essex Inst. Dec. 1876, 151 (Wabash 



Co. 111. Sept. 11-22, 1876).* 

 Florida Huron, Baikd, I. c. — Coues, I. c. 

 White-crowned Heron, March, I. c. 



Hab. — South Florida {Audubon, Baird, et Auct.)] Cuba {Lemheye, 

 Gundlach, Brewer) ; Jamaica [March) ; Southern Illinois and Indiana 

 (Wabash Eiver at Mount Oarmel, Illinois, September 11-22, 187G ; Bidg- 

 ■way, Nelson). [Probably the whole of the Austroriparian divStrict.] 



a. White phase (= occidentalis, Aud.). 



Adult. — Entire plumage pure white. "Bill yellow, the upper mandi- 

 ble dusky green at the base; loral space yellowish green ; orbital space 

 light blue; iris bright yellow. Tibia and hind part of tarsus yellow; 

 fore part of tibia [tarsus ?j olivaceous, sides of latter greenish yellow ; 

 claws light brown" (Audubon, I. c.).t 



Young. — Similar in color to the adult, but destitute of any plumes. 



b. Blue phase {= ^^ wiirdemanni''\ Baird). 



Adult. — Entire head, including occipital crest, pure white; the fore- 

 head streaked with black (the leathers edged with black, the median 

 stripe being white). Abdomen and crissum pure white, the former 

 sparsely streaked with black (these streaks on the inner edge of the 

 feathers, and broader anteriorly) ; crissum immaculate. Keck deep 

 violaceous-drab (darker and more violaceous than in A. herodias, and 

 ending almost abruptly against the white of the head) ; the throat with 

 a narrow series of black and rufouS dashes on a white ground ; plumes 

 of the lower neck white, most of them edged with black, but the longer 

 without grayish tinge. Lateral jugular tufts blue-black, with wide 

 median stripes of pure white. Upper parts exactly as in A. herodias, 

 except that the lower wing-coverts have conspicuous median streaks of 

 white, while the edge of the wing from the carpus back is white, tinged 

 with rufous, instead of wholly rufous. Tibial feathers paler rufous 

 than in A. herodias, growing almost white next the body on the inner 

 side. 



Naked tibiae yelloio; under side of toes yellow ; rest of legs and feet 

 yellowish-olive. 



Wing 21.00; tail 8.00; culraen 6.45; depth of bill (through middle of 



* Fide R. llidgway, in, epist. 



t " Iris yellow ; orbits yellowish-green ; bill yellow, greenish at the base ; legs yellow, 

 with olive tinge in front; claws light brown." Length 45; expanse 68 or more; 

 flexure nearly 20 ; leg nearly 9 ; bill 5^ inches (March, I. c). 



