GREEN HERON. 277 
ridge broad and rather flattened at the base, narrowed towards the end, 
the sides sloping, erect towards the edges, which are sharp and direct, 
the tip acute. Nasal depression long, with a groove extending to near 
the point; nostrils basal, linear, longitudinal. Lower mandible with 
the angle very long and narrow, the dorsal line sloping upwards, the 
sides sloping outwards and nearly flat, the edges sharp, the tip acu- 
minate. 
“ead oblong, much compressed. - Neck long. [ody very slender, 
much compressed. Feet rather long, moderately stout ; tibia bare for 
- about an inch ; tarsi of moderate length, covered with hexagonal scales 
of which some of the anterior are much larger and scutelliform. Toes 
rather long and slender, with numerous scutella above ; hind toe stout, 
second and fourth nearly equal, third much longer; claws rather long, 
slender, arched, compressed, acute, that of middle toe expanded and 
serrated on the inner edge. 
A large space extending from the bill to behind the eye bare. Plu- 
mage very soft, loose, and blended ; feathers of the hind head elongated 
and erectile, as are those of the neck generally, but especially of its 
hind and lower anterior parts; of the fore part of the back much elon- 
gated and acuminate, scapulars very large. Wings short, very broad, 
rounded ; second and third quills equal and longest, first and fourth 
equal and but slightly shorter, the rest slowly graduated ; secondaries 
broad and rounded. ‘Tail very short, even, of twelve, broad, soft fea- 
thers. 
Bill greenish-black above, bright yellow beneath. Iris and bare 
part about the eye also bright yellow. Feet, greenish-yellow, claws 
dusky. Upper part of the head and nape glossy deep green. Neck 
purplish-red, tinged with lilac behind, and having anteriorly a longitu- 
dinal band of white, spotted with dusky-brown; a similar white band along 
the base of lower mandible to beyond the eye. Elongated feathers of 
the back greyish-green, in some lights bluish-grey, with the shafts 
bluish-white ; the rest of the back similar ; the upper tail-coverts and 
tail bluish-green ; the lateral feathers slightly margined with white. 
Scapulars, wing-coverts, and inner secondaries, deep glossy green, 
bordered with yellowish-white ; primary quills and outer secondaries 
greyish-blue tinged with green. Lower parts pale purplish-brown 
tinged with grey; axillary feathers purplish-grey, as are some of the 
lower wing-coverts ; lower tail-coverts greyish-white. 
