198 A PRACTICAL HANDBOOK OF BRITISH BIRDS. 



Key to genera of Family Ardeidje. 



, f Rectrices 12 3 



\ Rectrices 10 2 



2 /Much smaller, wing under 200 mm Ixobrychus, p. 215 



\Much larger, wing over 200 mm Botaurus, p. 218 



( Plumage entirely or largely white, tail white . 4 

 3 -J Plumage not entirely or largely white, tail 



[ not white 5 



. f Bill longer, over 75, tarsus over 85 mm. . . . Egretta, p. 204 



\Bill shorter, under 75, tarsus under 85 mm. . . Ardeola, p. 208 



r f Front of tarsus with transverse scutes . . . A rdea, p. 198 



\ Front of tarsus reticulated Nycticorax, p. 212 



Genus ARDEA L. 



Aedea Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 141 (1758 — Type by subsequent 

 designation, Gray, 1840, A. cinerea). 



Large Herons of different colours, but never entirely white. 

 Bill strong, straightly pointed. Occiput with a few long narrow 

 feathers or a crest without latter. Scapulars elongated, but not 

 forming a long train of filamentous ornamental plumes, not reach- 

 ing tip of wing. 11 species in all parts of world. 



ARDEA CINEREA 



274. Ardea cinerea cinerea L.— THE COMMON HERON. 



Ardea cinerea Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., ed. x, i, p. 143 (1758 — Europe. 



Restricted typical locality : Sweden). 



Ardea cinerea Linnaeus, Yarrell, iv, p. 162 ; Saunders, p. 367. 



Description. — Adult male and female. Winter and summer. — 

 Fore-head and centre of crown white, sides and back of crown 

 glossy black (feathers, forming a crest, down middle of crown, long, 

 lanceolate, with long, loose rami, two black feathers at back of 

 crown very long (varying 80-210 mm. when fully grown, in $ 

 usually shorter than in <£), narrow and of closer structure than 

 rest) ; back and sides of neck pale buffish-grey, often with mauvish 

 tinge ; upper-parts blue-grey, feathers of lower- mantle and especi- 

 ally upper scapulars with much elongated ashy tips (basal portion 

 of these feathers normal, but distal portions with very long rami 

 separated or united in groups of two or three, and those on distal 

 part of shaft lying parallel and closely united to it, forming much 

 elongated, pointed, lanceolate tip, lower scapulars normal, obtusely 

 pointed feathers) ; cheeks and chin white ; feathers forming more 

 or less spotted line down middle of throat with distal halves of inner 

 webs black and outer webs white ; feathers of lower -throat and 

 upper-breast pale bufrish-grey, with some short, broad, black 

 streaks and tips white (these feathers in structure as upper scapulars 

 but with still more elongated, lanceolate tips) ; sides of breast and 

 belly glossy-black, centre white, with some feathers with one web 

 black and other white ; under tail-coverts white ; flanks, axillaries 

 and under wing-coverts blue-grey, along side of wing from carpal 

 joint to base of primaries white ; tibia white, tinged buff ; tail 



