THE COMMON HERON. 



199 



blue-grey ; wing-feathers, bastard-wing and primary-coverts glossy 

 blue-black with blue-grey " bloom " on outer webs (underside of 

 wings dark blue-grey) ; innermost secondaries blue-grey ; wing- 

 coverts blue -grey, paler and more ashy on outer feathers, upper- 

 most line of lesser coverts slightly speckled white and blackish. 

 This plumage is acquired by complete moult July to Nov. I have 

 not found European adults moulting remiges and rectrices after 

 Nov., but many show considerable moult of body -feathers Dec. 

 and Jan., and especially crest -feathers Feb. to April. This seems 

 to indicate a second partial spring moult, but from specimens 

 examined there is no definite proof, though longest crest-feathers 

 are usually absent in winter or have just started to grow and often 

 not yet fully grown April. 



Nestling. — Down of whole crown dark brownish-grey at base 

 with very long white bristle- 





Common Heron (Ardea c. cinerea). Head of 

 nestling in down. 



like tips without rami, giving 

 very conspicuous crested ap- 

 pearance, down of rest of upper- 

 parts normal but long, dark 

 greyish-brown in middle and 

 pale grey on sides, of under - 

 parts dull white. Lores, round 

 eyes, chin and throat and back 

 of neck bare, and down rather 

 sparse on sides of back and 

 centre of belly, otherwise cover- 

 ing bird very well. This down 

 is all replaced by feathers of 

 juvenile, and at the same time 

 down grows in " powder " down 

 patches. 



Juvenile. — Fore -head and sides of crown dark grey, back of 

 crown dull black (feathers of crest elongated and narrow but not 

 nearly so long or pointed as in adults and without the two very 

 long feathers) ; sides and back of neck brownish-grey ; upper- 

 parts brownish-grey (feathers of normal structure, not as in adult) ; 

 chin white and feathers down middle of throat part white and part 

 black as in adult, but black tinged brown ; feathers of lower-throat 

 and upper-breast and down centre of breast white with broad 

 brown-black stripe on inner webs (glossy-black sides of adult want- 

 ing, and feathers of lower -throat slightly long and of loose structure, 

 but not with greatly elongated narrow tips as in adult) ; flanks, and 

 under wing-coverts and tail-feathers brownish-grey ; under tail- 

 coverts not so pure white as in adult ; wing-feathers like adult but 

 with less " bloom " ; some blackish spots on white at carpal joint 

 and a buff tinge on uppermost lesser coverts, otherwise wing- 

 coverts brownish-grey, brownish tinge being especially marked on 

 tips of feathers, and greater and median coverts often with whitish 

 tips. 



