547 



WHITE-BELLIED HERON. 

 (Ardea leiicogaster.) 



Ar. crisiata cceruleo-nigr leans, alls subtus abdomine femorihusque 

 albisy rostro pedibusque Jiavis. 



Crested dusky blue Heron, with the wings beneath, the ab- 

 domen, and thighs, white ; the beak and feet yellow. 



Ardea leucogaster. GmeL Syst. Nat. 1. 628. — Laili. Ind. Orru 

 2. 694. 62. 



La demi Aigrette. Buff. Ois. 7. 3/8. 



Heron bleuatre a ventre blanc. Btiff. PI. Enl. 350. 



Demi Egret. Lath. Gen. Si/n. 5. 88. 5/. 



Nearly two feet in length : the beak dusky 

 yellow : between that and the eye naked, and of 

 the same colour : the head and neck, as far as the 

 breast, and the upper parts of the body, the wings, 

 and the tail, are deep blue-black : the under parts 

 of the body and thighs are white : from the occiput 

 depend two long feathers, of the same colour as the 

 head ; and on the lower part of the back are a few 

 long, narrow, rufous feathers, which fall over the 

 tail : the legs are yellowish. Inhabits Cayenne. 



Latham describes a variety of this bird: it is 

 two feet in length : beak yellow ; tip black : crest 

 long and white : head and neck inclining to violet : 

 chin and throat mottled with rufous white : long 

 feathers over the rump grey : legs brown : in 

 other respects similar to the first described. 



