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GREAT HERON. 

 (Ardea Herodias.) 



Ar. occipite cristato, dorso Jusco,femoribus rtifis, pectore maculu 



elongatis nigris, pedibus fuscis. 

 Heron with a crested occiput; the back fuscous; the thighs 



rufous ; the breast with elongated black spots 5 the feet yellow. 

 Ardea Herodias. Linn. Sysi, Nat. 1. 237. 15. — GmeL Syst, Nat. 



1. 630. — Lath, Ind. Orn. 2. 692. 56. 

 Ardea virginiana cristata. Briss. Orn. 5. 41 6. 10. 

 Le grand Heron d'Amerique. Biiffl Ois, 7. 585. 

 Largest crested Heron. Catesb. Carol. App.pl. 10. J'. 1. 

 Great Heron. Penn. Arct. Zool. 2. 341. — Lath. Gen, Syn. 5. 



85. 51. — Wills, Amer. Orn. 8. 28. pi. Ixv.y. 2. 



This is one of the largest of the genus, measuring 

 upwards of five feet in length, of which the beak is 

 eight inches: its colour is brown, inclining to 

 yellow on the sides : the hind head is crested, and 

 some of the feathers are five inches in length ; the 

 two middle ones in particular, which are the 

 longest : between the beak and eye naked, and of 

 a pale yellow : all the upper parts of the body, with 

 the belly, tail, and legs, are brown : the quills 

 black : the neck, the breast, and the thighs, are 

 rufous. 



Inhabits Virginia, and like the rest of this genus, 

 frequents the borders of lakes and rivers, and feeds 

 on reptiles and small fishes. 



