BLUE HERON, 119 



the day. What is very remarkable, those night wanderers often 

 associate, during the breeding season, with the others; building 

 their nests on the branches of the same tree; and, tho differing so 

 little in external form, feeding on nearly the same food, living and 

 lodging in the same place; yet preserve their race, language and 

 manners as perfectly distinct from those of their neighbours, as if 

 each inhabited a separate quarter of the globe. 



The Blue Heron is twenty-three inches in length, and three 

 feet in extent; the bill is black, but from the nostril to the eye, in 

 both mandibles is of a rich light purplish blue; iris of the eye 

 grey, pupil black, surrounded by a narrow silvery ring; eyelid 

 light blue; the whole head, and greater part of the neck, is of a 

 deep purplish brown; from the crested hind head shoot three nar- 

 row pointed feathers that reach nearly six inches beyond the eye; 

 lower part of the neck, breast, belly and whole body a deep slate 

 color, with lighter reflections ; the back is covered with long, flat 

 and narrow feathers, some of which are ten inches long and extend 

 four inches beyond the tail ; the breast is also ornamented with a 

 number of these long slender feathers; legs blackish green; inner 

 side of the middle claw pectinated. The breast and sides of the 

 rump, under the plumage, are clothed with a mass of yellowish 

 white unelastic cottony down, similar to that in most of the tribe, 

 the uses of which are not altogether understood. Male and female 

 alike in color. 



^ The young birds of the first year are destitute of the purple 

 plumage on the head and neck. 



