ARDEIDJE — THE HERONS — ARDEA. 
7 
b. Blue phase (— “ Wurdemanni,” Baird). 
Adult: Entire head, including occipital crest, pure white ; the forehead streaked with black (the 
feathers edged with black, the median stripe being white). Abdomen and crissum pure white, the 
former sparsely streaked with black (these streaks on the inner edge of the feathers, and broader 
anteriorly) ; crissum immaculate. Neck deep violaceous-drab (darker and more violaceous than in 
A. herodias, and ending almost abruptly against the white of the head) ; the throat with a narrow 
series of black and rufous dashes on a white ground ; plumes of the lower neck white, most of them 
edged witli black, but the longer without grayish tinge. Lateral jugular tufts blue-black, with 
■wide median stripes of pure white. Upper parts exactly as in A. herodias , except that the lower 
wing-coverts have conspicuous median streaks of white, while the edge of the wing from the carpus 
back is white , tinged with rufous, instead of wholly rufous. Tibial feathers paler rufous than in 
A. herodias , growing almost white next the body on the inner side. Naked tibiae yellow ; under 
side of toes yellow ; rest of legs and feet yellowish-olive. Young: Similar to young of A. herodias, 
but lesser wing-coverts widely tipped with bright ferruginous, producing thereby a conspicuous 
spotting of this color ; all the lower wing-coverts, large and small, with a large, terminal, wedge- 
shaped spot of white. Forehead and crown dusky slate-color, most of the feathers with whitish 
shafts ; occipital plumes all whitish at the base, only the ends being dusky. 
Wing, 21.00 ; tail, 8.00; culmen, 6.45 ; depth of bill (through middle of nostrils), 1.15; naked 
portion of tibia, 5.50; tarsus, 8.00; middle toe, 4.80. [Type, No. 8690, South Florida.] 
The specimen described above as the young of .4. “ Wurdemanni ” is a very young bird, with the 
downy filaments still adhering to the tips of all the feathers of the crown, and with the remiges 
only half grown out. It is much larger than any specimens of A. herodias of corresponding age, 
the culmen measuring 5.15, the tibia 5.00, the tarsus 7.80, and the middle toe 4.60. The pdumage 
is even more different ; In the young of A. herodias , the dusky of the crown includes the entire 
upper half of the head, the occiput being wholly blackish and the cheeks slaty ; in the specimen 
under consideration the cheeks are entirely white, like the throat, and the occipital feathers white, 
tipped with dusky, thus restricting the continuous dusky to the forehead and crown. The con- 
spicuous white spots on the wing-coverts agree with the similar but smaller markings seen in the 
adult of A. “ Wurdemanni,” but wanting in all ages and stages of A . herodias. 
The identity of Ardea Wurdemanni, Baird, with A. occidentals, Audubon, although not proven, 
is inferred from a number of circumstances and coincidences in the history of each, which, together 
wing from flexure, 19 ; tail, 7 ; bill along the back, 6J ; along the edges, 81 ; bare part of tibia, 6 ; tarsus, 
81; middle toe, 418 ; its claw, 18. Weight, 91 lbs.” 
$: “Length to end of tail, 50 ; to end of wings, 50 ; to end of claws, 65 ; extent of wings, 75 ; wing 
from flexure, 181 ; tail, 6} ; bill along the back, 518 ; along the edges, 71 ; its depth at base, 1A ; tarsus, 
71 ; middle toe, 41 ; its claw, A. Weight, 71 lbs.” — Aun. 
