ABDEIBM - ABBEIN^ : HEBONS. 



657 



Always white. Adult with decomposed recurved feathers on back Ga/rzetta 259 



Ashy-blue, white below. Bill longer than tai'sub Hydranassa 260 



Length 30, not 36 inches. Blue or white. Tarsus twice as long as middle toe. Bill shorter than 



tarsus Dichromanassa 261 



Length 36 or more. Entirely white ; no crest : long decomposed feathers on back . . Herodms 268 



Length 42 or more; of dark varied colors, or white ; crested, without dorsal plumes . . Ardea 2R7 



60. Subfamily ARDEIN^: True Herons. 



TaU-feathei's 13 (in all N. 



Am. genera), broad and stifif- 

 ish. Powder-down tracts 3 

 pairs. Tibise naked, below. 

 Outer toe not shorter than in- 

 ner. Claws moderate, curved. 

 (Embracing most of the spe- ■^ 



cies of the family, and all our 

 species excepting the Bit- liiJj 



terns.) ,,^^.__«_i___«a_i^==_.r^ 



357. AR'DEA. (Lat. ardea, a W^i^^fSBK^^^B^SB^^^^^S^^^S, 



heron.) Great Herons. Of vMf' ■ , faBIIPH^B^^^^^^j ^ p^^^Pyw^ 



largest size. Keck and legs ll^'''iillH^BlHl^^^^^flH^^^P^^^^\ 



very long, former well feath- WKp. .J 



ered all around. Tibise exten- ■&,, j| ' \1 



sively denuded behjw. Tarsus 

 longer than middle toe and 

 claw. Outer lateral toe longer ^bjibl 



than inner. Bill shorter than wiaBm/ 



tarsus, equal to or longer than 

 middle toe and claw. Colors 



dark and varied, exceptionally mwmJMl .-»^='=^lfc^T 



white ; back, without length- * ijjtz 



ened loosened plumes; scapu- -TiJff*'^ 



lars lanceolate, lengthened, but ^ ,. _j 



not loosened; lower fore-neck ^"' ffi sflfflS'w 



with lengthened feathers ; head , ' ..A, I 

 crested, in breeding season with ,yy^^^^^^ j \ ^^^^^t'/A 

 two long, slender, flowing, oc- .^^^K -^- -^^^^^^^^ 

 cipital plumes. Sexes alike; _-_ -=i Tf- — i— -j^ itjit -" 

 young similar, but lacking aU 1 1 ■»Ei.t._l_M^«ailML« 



lengthened feathers. Dichro- 

 matic. (Genera 258-363 should 



be reduced to subgenera of „ ,,_'" „ , „, „ ,,,,,„„ 



° Fig. 457. — Great Blue Heron, greatly reduced. (From Tenney, after 



Araea.) Audubon. 



Analysis of Species. 



Tibise and edge of wing white ; occiput and plumes black. (Europe.) , . cimerea 667 



Tibiae and edge of wing rufous ; or whole plumage white. 



Occiput and plumes black; whole plumage varied. Bill 6 or less; tarsus 8 or less .... herodias 665 



Occiput and plumes white ; or, whole plumage white. Bill 6 or more ; tarsus 8 or more occid-entalis 656 



655. A. hero'dias. (Lat. Tjeroi^'aS, a proper name ; Gr. epaSms, ero(K««, a heron. Fig. 457.) Great 

 Blue Heron. Of large size, and varied dark colors ; not dichromatic. Back without peculiar 

 plumes at any season, but scapulars lengthened and lanceolate ; an occipital crest, two de- 



42 



