154 BLUE HERON. 



Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck very long and slender. 

 Body slender and compressed. Feet very long; tibia elongated, its lower 

 half bare, very slender, covered all round with angular scales, of which the 

 posterior are large; tarsus elongated, slender, compressed, anteriorly covered 

 with numerous broad scutella, laterally and behind with angular scales. 

 Toes long, slender, with numerous broad scutella above, flattened and 

 reticularly granulate beneath. Claws rather long, arched, compressed, acute, 

 that of hind toe much larger and more curved, the inner edge of that of the 

 third finely and regularly pectinate. 



Space between the bill and eye, and around the latter, bare. Plumage 

 soft, thin, and blended. Feathers of the upper and hind part of the head 

 very long, linear, with loose barbs; of the sides of the neck loose and 

 inclined obliquely backwards, of its lower part much elongated, narrow, and 

 tapering to a point; of the middle of the back extremely long, linear, acumi- 

 nate, their tips projecting about five inches beyond the tail. Wings long, 

 and very broad; primaries broad, tapering, and rounded, the first, second and 

 third almost equal, the latter being only a twelfth of an inch longer; secon- 

 daries broad and rounded; some of the inner only half an inch shorter than 

 the longest primary, when the wing is closed. Tail very short, small, even, 

 of twelve rather weak feathers. 



Bill ultramarine blue at the base, gradually shaded into black towards the 

 point; the bare space between it and the eye, as well as the edges of the 

 eyelids, ultramarine. Iris pale yellow. Legs, tarsi, toes, and claws, black. 

 Head and neck of a rich deep purple, inclining to vinaceous; the lower part 

 of the neck and all the other parts deep greyish-blue, the edges of the 

 feathers lighter. 



Length to end of tail 24^ inches, to end of wings 25, to end of elongated 

 dorsal feathers 26 J, to end of claws 30f; wing from flexure ll|; tail 4^;' 

 extent of wings 42; bill along the ridge 3 T 4 2, along the edge of lower man- 

 dible 4; bare part of tibia 2 T 2 2-; tarsus 3^; first toe \^, its claw T 9 g; middle 

 toe 2%, its claw T 7 ^. Weight 1 lb. 



The Female is similar to the male, but smaller. Weight 11 oz. 



The young are at first sparely covered with yellowish-white down. When 

 a fortnight old, the bill is yellow, with the tips greenish-black; the feet 

 greenish-yellow, the claws dusky, with the tips greyish-yellow. The 

 general colour of the plumage is pure white, but the down which tips the 

 feathers of the head is brownish-white; two of the alular feathers are tinged 

 with dull bluish-grey, and the outer seven or eight primaries are broadly 

 margined on both sides to the length of about an inch and a half with the 

 same colour of a deeper tint, the extreme tip white. 



When fully fledged, the bare parts at the base of the bill, and the basal 



