﻿BIRDS 
  OF 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  253 
  

  

  flat 
  structure 
  comiDOsed 
  of 
  dead 
  grass 
  and 
  flags, 
  the 
  tops 
  of 
  the 
  sedges 
  about 
  

   it 
  usually 
  being 
  bent 
  down 
  to 
  form 
  a 
  screen 
  above 
  the 
  eggs 
  after 
  the 
  manner 
  

   of 
  rails. 
  The 
  eggs 
  are 
  from 
  four 
  to 
  seven 
  in 
  niimber, 
  of 
  a 
  light 
  greenish 
  

   white, 
  elliptical 
  in 
  shape, 
  about 
  1.23 
  x 
  .92 
  inches 
  in 
  dimensions. 
  The 
  young 
  

   are 
  quite 
  downy 
  but 
  not 
  thoroughly 
  ptilopaedic 
  and 
  remain 
  in 
  the 
  nest 
  

   for 
  some 
  time. 
  

  

  Ixobrychus 
  neoxenus 
  (Cory) 
  

   Cory 
  Least 
  Bittern 
  

  

  Distinguishing 
  marks. 
  Neck 
  and 
  wing 
  coverts 
  rich 
  chestnut; 
  under 
  parts 
  rufous 
  or 
  light 
  chestnut; 
  

   under 
  tail 
  coverts 
  black; 
  males 
  have 
  no 
  light 
  stripe 
  on 
  side 
  of 
  back. 
  Size 
  of 
  e 
  x 
  i 
  1 
  i 
  s 
  . 
  

  

  This 
  species 
  or 
  color 
  phase, 
  whichever 
  it 
  is, 
  has 
  been 
  taken 
  several 
  times 
  at 
  Toronto, 
  and 
  its 
  

   nest 
  found 
  there. 
  Although 
  no 
  specimens 
  have 
  been 
  reported 
  from 
  New 
  York 
  it 
  should 
  occur 
  on 
  

   the 
  Niagara 
  river 
  and 
  along 
  the 
  southern 
  shore 
  of 
  Lake 
  Ontario. 
  

  

  Ardea 
  herodias 
  Linnaeus 
  

   Great 
  Blue 
  Heron 
  

  

  Plate 
  24 
  

  

  Ardea 
  herodias 
  Linnaeus. 
  Syst. 
  JSFat. 
  Ed. 
  10. 
  175^- 
  1:143 
  

  

  DeKay. 
  Zool. 
  N. 
  Y. 
  1844. 
  pt 
  2, 
  p. 
  219, 
  fig. 
  184 
  

   A. 
  O. 
  U. 
  Check 
  List. 
  Ed. 
  2. 
  1895. 
  No. 
  194 
  

  

  ar'dea, 
  Lat., 
  a 
  heron; 
  hero'dias, 
  misspelled 
  for 
  Gr. 
  e'/owSios 
  and 
  Lat. 
  herodius, 
  

  

  a 
  heron 
  

  

  Description. 
  Adult 
  breeding 
  season: 
  Top 
  of 
  head, 
  cheeks 
  and 
  chin 
  

   white; 
  sides 
  of 
  crown 
  and 
  occipital 
  crest 
  black; 
  neck 
  light 
  purplish 
  gray, 
  

   the 
  throat 
  line 
  streaked 
  with 
  black, 
  white 
  and 
  rusty; 
  upper 
  parts 
  mostly 
  

   slaty 
  blue 
  ; 
  wing 
  feathers 
  deepening 
  to 
  black 
  on 
  the 
  outer 
  primaries 
  ; 
  scapular 
  

   and 
  pectoral 
  plumes 
  largely 
  pearl-gray; 
  under 
  parts 
  largely 
  black 
  streaked 
  

   with 
  white; 
  tibia 
  and 
  edge 
  of 
  wing 
  chestnut-brown; 
  bill 
  and 
  iris 
  mostly 
  

   yellow, 
  the 
  former 
  dusky 
  along 
  the 
  ridge, 
  loral 
  space 
  blue; 
  legs 
  blackish. 
  

   Young: 
  Top 
  of 
  head 
  blackish, 
  no 
  pearl-gray 
  plumes; 
  upper 
  parts 
  more 
  of 
  

   a 
  grayish 
  blue 
  tinged 
  with 
  rusty, 
  especially 
  on 
  the 
  wing 
  coverts; 
  the 
  black 
  

   of 
  the 
  under 
  parts 
  replaced 
  by 
  ashy 
  gray. 
  

  

  Length 
  42-50 
  inches; 
  extent 
  68-74; 
  wing 
  18-20; 
  tail 
  7-8; 
  bill 
  4.5-6.5; 
  

   tibiae 
  bare 
  3-4; 
  tarsus 
  6-8; 
  middle 
  toe 
  and 
  claw 
  5; 
  weight 
  6-8 
  pounds. 
  

   Young 
  in 
  the 
  fall 
  from 
  3.5 
  to 
  5 
  pounds. 
  

  

  Distribution. 
  The 
  Great 
  blue 
  heron 
  is 
  a 
  common 
  and 
  well 
  known 
  tran- 
  

   sient 
  visitant 
  in 
  all 
  parts 
  of 
  New 
  York, 
  and 
  is 
  locally 
  a 
  summer 
  resident 
  on 
  

   Long 
  Island 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  in 
  western, 
  central 
  and 
  northern 
  New 
  York. 
  Breed- 
  

  

  