104 BIRDS OF LA PLATA 



It comes as far south as Buenos Ayres, but is only 

 a summer visitor there, and very scarce. Having 

 seen but little of it myself, I can only repeat Azara's 

 words concerning it. He says it is common in Para- 

 guay, going in pairs or families, and perches and 

 roosts on trees, and when flying flaps its wings more 

 rapidly than other Herons. It makes its nest on a 

 tree, and lays two clear blue eggs. 



I saw less of the Whistling or " Fluting " Heron than 

 of any of the seven species I was acquainted with in 

 La Plata. About its habits I found out nothing, and 

 on that account I should have omitted all mention 

 of it — ^that being the rule in this book — ^if its strange 

 beauty had not charmed and made a lasting impres- 

 sion on my mind. The stuffed specimens, from 

 which the description is taken, do not show the 

 colours of the living bird — ^the soft clear grey and 

 primrose yellow — most delicate colours and rarely 

 seen in a bird of this size. In the museum specimens 

 the primrose yellow fades to white with a dull 

 yellowish tinge. 



LITTLE BLUE HERON 



Btttorides lycamna 



Above blue grey; beneath ash-colour; black crest with greenish 

 gloss ; ferruginous spots on the neck ; length 14 inches. 



The Little Blue Heron, though widely distributed, 

 is not anywhere a common bird. I have always 

 seen it singly, for it loves a hermit-life, and the 



