THE GREY HEUON. 
243 
Order IX. HERODIONES. 
Family ARDEIDiE. 
Genus ARDEA, Linn. 
608. ARDEA CINEREA. 
THE GEEY HERON. 
Ardea cinerea, Linn. Syst. Nat. i. p. 236 ; Jerd. B. Ind. ii. p, 741 ; Hume, Nests 
and Eggs, p. 610 ; Salvad. Ucc. Bom. p. 344 ; Bl. B. Burm. p. 159 ; Hume, S. F. 
iii. p. 190 ; Dresser, Birds Bur. vi. p. 207, pi. ; David et Oust. Ois. C/mie, 
p. 437 ; Hume ^ Dav. S. F. vi. p. 472 ; Hume^ S. F. viii. p. 114 ; Legge, Birds 
Ceylon, p. 1127 ; Oates, S. F. x. p. 243. 
Description. — Male. Forehead, a streak over the lores as far as the eye 
and the anterior portion of the crown white ; posterior part of crown, nape 
and an ample occipital crest of pointed feathers bluish black ; two loDger 
and firmer feathers spring from the crown and slightly exceed the occipital 
crest in length ; chin, throat and sides of the head white ; fore neck white, 
the inner webs of the feathers streaked with black ; feathers at base of 
neck long and narrow, a delicate rufous-grey ; sides of the body, axillaries 
and under wing-coverts bluish grey, the latter tipped with greyish white ; 
centre of the breast and the whole abdomen pure white ; a iaige patch on 
either side the breast continued as a broad band to the thighs bluish 
black ; vent mingled white and bluish ; under tail-coverts white ; back and 
sides of the neck pale rufous-grey ; back, ramp, upper tail-coverts and tail 
bluish grey ; primaries, secondaries, primary-coverts and winglet dark 
bluish black ; edge of the wing white ; tertiaries, lesser and median coverts 
bluish grey edged paler ; greater coverts bluish grey on the outer and dark 
brownish grey on the inner webs ; the larger scapulars blaish grey, darker 
at the tips ; the feathers of the shoulders and the upper scapulars long and 
disintegrated, bluish grey with white central streaks. 
The/ema/e diflPers in being of duller colours and in having the plumes 
less lengthened. 
Bill yellow, darker at the base of the upper mandible ; eyelids and 
orbital skin greyish brown ; a patch of yellow skin between the eye and 
the bill ; iris yellow ; tarsus and toes dark brown ; claws black ; tibia fleshy 
brown ; underside of toes yellow. 
Length 39 inches, tail 7, wing 18, tarsus 6, bill from gape 6*1. 
The Common Heron is spread over the whole of Burmah in the dry 
weather, and it probably breeds in this country. I do not remember, how- 
ever, to have met with it in the rains. 
r2 
