HEROICS AND BITTERNS. 135 



generally seen in flocks. With A. candidissima they lack the patience 

 of the larger Herons and pursue their prey in shallow water. 



199. Ardea tricolor ruficollis (Gosse). Louisiana Heron. Ad. 

 — Upper pai'ts dark bluish slate-color; back of the head and upper neck with 

 elongated chestnut-rufous and white feathers ; back with pale brownish gray 

 "aigrette" plumes reaching to the tail; lower back, rump, and belly white; 

 neck bluish slate-color ; throat white, an indistinct rufous line down the mid- 

 dle of the foreneck ; legs blackish ; base of the bill and lores bluish. Im. — 

 Throat, and an indistinct line down the foreneck, white ; rest of the head and 

 neck brownish rufous ; upper back and wings bluish slate-color, more or less 

 washed with brownish rufous ; no plume.s ; lower back, rump, and belly white ; 

 breast with more or less slaty streaks ; legs yellow behind, blackish before ; 

 lower mandible and lores orange ; upper mandible black. L., 26-00 ; W., 10-00 ; 

 Tar., S-70 ; B., 3-90. 



Mange. — Central America and West Indies northward to the Gulf States ; 

 casually to Long Island. 



Long Island, A. V., one record. 



Nest, a platform of sticks, in colonies, in bushes over water- Eggs, four 

 to five, pale, dull blue, 1-75 x 1-35. 



A common species in Florida, where it is found both singly and in 

 flocks. It is sometimes a slow, stealthy feeder, and at others dashes 

 for its prey. 



200. Ardea coerulea Linn. Little Blue Heron. Ad. — Head and 

 neck maroon-chestnut; rest of the plumage dark bluish slate-color; inter- 

 scapulars and lower neck feathers lengthened and narrowly pointed ; lores 

 blue ; legs and feet black. Im. — White, the plumage sometimes more or less 

 washed with slaty ; tlii tips of the primaries always bluish slate-color ; legs, 

 feet, and lores greenish yellow. L., 22-00 ; W., 10-25 ; Tar., S-70 ; B., 3-00. 



Semarhs. — Between the young and adult there is every stage of inter- 

 gradation of color, some specimens being irregularly marked with blue and 

 white in about equal proportions. Young birds are sometimes mistaken for 

 Snowy Herons, but can always be distinguished by the greenish yellow legs 

 and slaty tips of the primaries. 



Range. — Tropical and temperate America, breeding as far north as south- 

 ern Illinois and Virginia ; after the breeding season wanders northward, some- 

 times reaching Nova Scotia. 



- Washington, casual in July and August; sometimes quite common. Long 

 Island, rare from Apl. to Sept. 



Nest, a platform of sticks, in colonies, in bushes over water. Eggs, three 

 to four, pale, dull blue, 1-70 x 1-30. 



Thanks to their lack of " aigrette " plumes Little Blue Herons are 

 probably the most common Herons in Florida to-day. They are gen- 

 erally found in flocks, sometimes composed entirely of blue adults, 

 sometimes of white, immature birds, and at others both young and old 

 are associated. The white birds resemble A. candidissima, but the 



