116 HERON. 



84.— BLUE HERON. 



Ardea ca?rulea, hid. Orn. ii. 689. Lin. i. 238. Gm. Lin. i. C31. Bris.v. 484. TcZ. 



Svo. ii. 338. Baii, 189. 3. Sloan. Jam. ii. 315. t. 263. f. 3. 

 Ardea purpurea cristata, Bartr. Trav. 291. 

 Ardea plumbea, Broivn, Jam. 478. 

 Ardea cyanea, Klein, Av. 124. 7. 

 Le Crabier. bleu, Buf. vii. 398. 

 Blue Heron, Gen. St/n. v. 78. Arct. Zoo/, ii. No. 351. Cates. Car. pi. 76. Amer. 



Orn. vii. 117. pi. 62. f. 3. 



LENGTH nearly eighteen inches, weight fifteen ounces. Bill 

 three inches, colour blue, yellowish beneath; irides yellow; round 

 the eyes and lore bare, and yellowish ; the head is somewhat crested, 

 and the feathers of the breast elongated ; general colour of the 

 plumage deep blue, inclining to lead-colour; head and neck change- 

 able purple, the back covered with narrow, long, silky feathers, 

 hanging nearly four inches beyond the end of the tail ; legs green, 

 claw of the middle toe pectinated. 



According to Mr. Abbot the adult male and female are much 

 alike ; but the crest of the former, and scapular feathers are both 

 longer in the male. One, supposed a female, had the head and neck 

 dull purple; chin white, passing in a streak half way down the 

 neck before, the lower part mixed white and black in streaks ; head 

 very little crested ; back lead-coloured, and the long silky feathers, 

 so conspicuous in the male, wholly wanting : this is probably a young 

 bird. Adults are sometimes nearly two feet in length. 



Inhabits North America; found in Carolina in spring, and in 

 winter is met with at Jamaica, and other West India Islands; comes 

 into Georgia the end of March, frequents the ponds throughout the 

 summer ; makes the nest in the same manner as the Green Heron ; 

 the egg of a fine plain green. We believe that this is the bird called 

 in the West Indies the Blue Gaulding. 



