LOUISIANA HERON 



inches, of a yellowish green at the base, black towards the point, 

 and very sharp; irides yellow; chin and throat white, dotted with 

 ferruginous and some blue; the rest of the neck is of a light vinous 

 purple, intermixed on the lower part next the breast with dark 

 slate-colored plumage ; the whole feathers of the neck are long, 

 narrow and pointed; head crested, consisting first of a number of 

 long narrow purple feathers, and under these seven or eight pen- 

 dent ones, of a pure white, and twice the length of the former ; 

 upper part of the back and wings light slate; lower part of the 

 back and rump white, but concealed by a mass of long unwebbed 

 hair-like plumage, that falls over the tail and tips of the wings, ex- 

 tending three inches beyond them ; these plumes are of a dirty 

 purplish brown at the base, and lighten towards the extremities to 

 a pale cream color; the tail is even at the tip, rather longer than 

 the wings, and of a fine slate; the legs and naked thighs greenish 

 yellow; middle claw pectinated; whole lower parts pure white. 

 Male and fem?ile alike in plumage, both being crested. 



OSI 



