40 
ALTRICIAL GRALLATORES — HERODIONES. 
color; lanceolate feathers of the jngulum mixed maroon-purple and plumbeous-blue, the former 
prevailing laterally, the latter medially ; chin and upper part of throat pure white ; rest of the 
throat bright cinnamon-rufous (the feathers white beneath the surface), this gradually becoming 
narrower and finally broken up at about the middle of the foreneck, whence continued downward 
in a series of mixed touches of white, rufous, and plumbeous ; rest of the lower parts, including 
the whole lining of the wing, and also the rump (the latter concealed by the train), pure white. 
Upper parts nearly uniform plumbeous-blue, except the train, which is light drab, paler towards 
the extremity of the feathers. In the breeding season, the terminal third, or more, of the bill black, 
“ the rest sky-blue, shading into lilac at the base, the latter color extending to the eye ; legs slate- 
color ; iris red ” (Cory). At other seasons, “ bill brownish black on the greater part of the upper 
mandible, and on the sides of the lower mandible towards the point ; the rest yellow, as is the 
bare space before and around the eye ; iris bright red ; feet light yellowish green, the anterior 
scutelhe dusky, as are the claws” (Audubon). 
Young : Head and neck light cinnamon-rufous, the feathers plumbeous beneath the surface, the 
pileum overlaid with plumbeous, and nape tinged with the same ; chin, throat, and malar region 
uniform white; foreneck white, with a median longitudinal series of cinnamon-colored streaks, 
these more broken posteriorly, where the white is much wider. Entire lower parts (including 
axillars and lining of the wing), with entire rump, and upper tail-coverts, uniform white. Upper 
parts uniform bluish-plumbeous, the wing-coverts widely tipped with light cinnamon-rufous, and 
the back more or less tinged with the same. Occipital feathers slightly elongated, forming an 
inconspicuous pendant crest, the feathers similar in color to those of adjacent parts ; no dorsal 
plumes. Bill mostly yellow, the culmen and terminal third of upper mandible blackish ; “legs 
deep greenish olive” (Audubon). 
Demerara specimens, representing the true II. tricolor, are very much smaller than more north- 
ern examples. They are also decidedly darker, the neck being in some specimens plumbeous- 
black, in others dark plumbeous, and the ferruginous of the throat very deep. 
The Louisiana Heron is common on our southern Atlantic coast from the Chesa- 
peake to the Florida Keys, and is found from thence to Central America in abun- 
dance. It is common on the Pacific coast of Guatemala, but has not been met with 
farther north than Mazatlan. It straggles along the Atlantic coast as far north 
at least as Long Island. Giraud includes it among his birds of Long Island, but 
states it to be only a very rare and accidental visitant. A single specimen, shot at 
Patchogue in the summer of 1836, was the only individual of this species known to 
have been procured in that vicinity. Mr. Lawrence includes it among his list of birds 
found near New York City. Mr. Turnbull states that it has been occasionally ob- 
tained on the coast of New Jersey. Wilson speaks of it as sometimes found on the 
swampy river shores of South Carolina, but more frequently along the borders of 
the Mississippi, particularly below New Orleans. Mr. Dresser speaks of it as common 
at Matamoras, and also near San xlntonio. He also received it from Fort Stockton, 
taken there in the summer. At San Antonio he obtained one so late in the season as 
to render it not improbable that some remain through the winter. In June, 1864, he 
found a number breeding on Galveston Island. They build a heavy nest, either on 
the ground or in the low bushes. The number of the eggs was four. In Florida, 
Mr. Boardman found it breeding invariably upon low bushes, and always in company 
with the candidissima. Mr. Salvin states that he found this Heron common about 
the lagoons that line the whole Pacific coast of Guatemala, but he met with none in 
the interior. It is given by Dr. Gundlach as breeding in Cuba, and is described as a new 
species by Gosse, among the birds of Jamaica, under the name of Egretta ruficollis ; 
but he only met with a few specimens, though he regarded it as undoubtedly a per- 
manent resident in the island. Mr. March speaks of it as one of the most common 
birds of the island, where it is known as the Red-necked Gaulin. 
Audubon characterizes it as among the most delicate in form, beautiful in plumage, 
