ARDEIDJE — THE HERONS — FLORIDA. 
43 
extremes. Bill slender, acute, appreciably curved toward the tip, the culmen somewhat depressed 
just above the anterior end of the nostril ; lower edge of the mandibular rami slightly concave, 
the gonys nearly straight, but ascending ; anterior point of the malar leathers reaching just about 
as far forward as that of the frontal feathers, and very far posterior to the posterior end of the 
nostril ; anterior point of chin feathers almost directly beneath the anterior end of the nostril, and 
a little over two thirds the distance from the middle of the eye to the point of the bill. Toes long, 
the middle one two thirds, or more, as long as the tarsus, the hallux a little less than half its 
length ; bare portion of tibia considerably less than the middle toe. Tarsal scutella) as in Garzetta 
and Herodias. 
Nuptial plumes (occipital, jugular, and scapular) long, slenderly lanceolate, the webs rather 
compact, especially those of the dorsal region ; those of the back reaching, when fully developed, 
far beyond the tail. 
Florida caerulea. 
THE LITTLE BLUE HERON. 
Ardea caerulea, Catesby, Carolina, I. 1731, pi. 76 (blue adult). 
Heron bleudtre dc Cayenne, Buff. PI. Enl. 1770-84, pi. 349 (blue adult). 
Ardea caerulea, Linn. S. N. ed. 10, 1758, 143. no. 13 (ex Brown, Jam. 478 ; Catesbv, l.c.), T. 1766, 
238, no. 17. —Wins. Am. Orn. VII. 1813, 117, pi. 62. —Nutt. Man. II. 1834, 58. — Aun. 
Orn. Biog. IV. 1838, 58, pi. 307 ; Synop. 1839, 266 ; B. Am. VI. 1843, 148, pi. 372. — Coues, 
Key, 1872, 268 ; Check List, 1873, no. 456. 
Florida ccerulca, Baird, Birds N. Am. 1858, 671 ; Cat. N. Am. B. 1859, no. 490. — Ridgw. Norn. 
N. Am. B. 1881, no. 493. — Coues, Check List, 2d ed. 1882, no. 662. 
Blue Heron, var. A., Lath. Synop. III. 1785, 79 (blue adult. Quotes PI. Enl. 349). 
Ardea cccrulcsccns, Lath. Ind. Orn. II. 1790, 690, no. 49 (based on the above). 
Lc Crabier bleu A cou brim, Buff. Ois. VII. 399 (blue adult). 
Blue Heron, Lath. Synop. III. 1785, 78 (quotes Ardea ccerulca, Linn.). 
? Little White Heron, var. B., Lath. Synop. III. 1785, 94 (Mexico. Probably young white bird). 
Ardea ardcsiacca, Less. Traite, I. 1831, 575 (Cayenne. Individual in pied plumage). 
Herodias Pouchcti, Bonap. Consp. II. 1855, 123 (blue adult). 
“ Egretta nivea,” Gosse, Birds Jam. 1847, 334 ; Illustr. B. Jam. pi. 90 (young white bird). 
Ardea caerulea, var. alba, Reichenow, J. f. O. July, 1877, 264 (white phase). 
Ardea caerulea, var. cyannpus, Reichenow, l.c. (intermediate, or pied, phase. Ex Ardea cyanopus, 
Gmel. S. N. I. ii. 1788, 644). 
Ardea mexicana cinerea, Briss. Orn. V. 1760, 404 (intermediate phase). 
Ardea amcricana cinerea, Briss. t.c. 406. 
Ardea cancrophagus brasiliensis, Briss. t.c. 479. 
Ardea chalybea, Stephens, Shaw’s Gen. Zool. XI. ii. 1819, 582. 
Hab. Warm -temperate eastern North America, the whole of the West Indies and Middle 
America, and northern South America ; north to Massachusetts, Illinois, Kansas, etc. ; south to 
New Granada and Guiana. 
Sp. Char. Length, about 20.00—25.00 inches ; expanse, 40.00-42.00 ; wing, 9.00-10.60 ; tail, 
3.60-4.70 ; culmen, 2.70-3.30 ; depth, of bill, .45-. 55 ; tarsus, 3.15-4.00; middle toe, 2.35-2.60 ; 
bare portion of tibia, 2.00-2.90. Weight, about 11-16 ounces. 
White phase. 
Adult : Prevailing color white, with the ends of several outer primaries plumbeous, the plumage 
tinged here and there (in quantity varying with the individual) with delicate pale bluish pearl- 
gray. Colors of the soft parts as in the blue adult. Young: Similar to the adult, but with the 
plumes absent or but slightly developed. Bill pale lilaceous, becoming gradually black on ter- 
minal third ; legs and feet uniform pea-green, lighter and brighter than in the blue phase ; iris 
Naples yellow. 1 
1 Fresh colors of a specimen killed August 6, near Washington, D. C. 
