130 THE GREAT BLUE HERON. 



ridge convex, the sides flattish and ascending, the edges as in the upper, the 

 tip acuminate. Nostrils basal, linear, longitudinal, with a membrane above 

 and behind. 



Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Neck very long and slender. 

 Body slender and compressed; wings large. Feet very long; tibia elongated, 

 its lower half bare, very slender, covered all round with hexagonal scales; 

 tarsus elongated, thicker than the lower part of the tibia, compressed, covered 

 anteriorly with large scutella, excepting at the two extremities, where it is 

 scaly, the sides and hind part with angular scales. Toes of moderate length, 

 rather slender, scutellate above, reticularly granulate beneath, third toe much 

 longer than second and fourth, which are nearly equal, first shorter, but 

 strong; claws of moderate size, strong, compressed, arched, rather acute, the 

 thin inner edge of that of the third toe finely serrated. 



Space between the bill and eye, and around the latter, bare, as is the lower 

 half of the tibia. Plumage soft, generally loose. Feathers of the upper part 

 of the head long, tapering, decurved, two of them extremely elongated; of 

 the back long and loose, of the rump soft and downy; scapulars with 

 extremely long slender rather compact points. Feathers of the fore-neck 

 much elongated and extremely slender, of the sides of the breast anteriorly 

 very large, curved and loose; of the fore part of the breast narrower and 

 elongated, as they are generally on the rest of the lower surface; on the 

 tibia short. Wings large, rounded; primaries curved, strong, broad, tapering 

 towards the end, the outer cut out on both margins, second and third longest; 

 secondaries very large, broad and rounded, extending beyond the primaries 

 when the wing is closed. Tail of moderate length, rounded, of twelve 

 rather broad, rounded feathers. 



Bill yellow, dusky-green above, loral and orbital spaces light green. Iris 

 bright yellow. Feet olivaceous, paler above the tibio-tarsal joints; claws 

 black. Forehead pure white; the rest of the elongated feathers bluish-black; 

 throat white, neck pale purplish-brown, the elongated feathers beneath grey- 

 ish-white, part of their inner webs purplish-blue. Upper parts in general 

 light greyish-blue, the elongated tips of the scapulars greyish-white, the 

 edge of the wing, some feathers at the base of the fore-neck, and the tibial 

 feathers, brownish-orange. The two tufts of large curved feathers on the 

 fore part of the breast bluish-black, some of them with a central stripe of 

 white. Lower surface of the wings and the sides light greyish-blue; elon- 

 gated feathers of the breast white, their inner edge black, of the abdomen 

 chiefly black; lower tail-coverts white, some of them with an oblique mark 

 of black near the tip. 



Length to end of tail 4S inches, to end of claws 63 inches, extent of 



