82 
ALTRICIAL GRALLATORES — HERODIONES. 
IIab. The whole of tropical ancl warm-temperate America ; north to New York (casual), 
Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and California ; south to Ecuador and Buenos 
Ayres. 
Sp. Char. Adult : Head and upper half of the neck naked, and covered with a hard, scurfy 
skin, of a dusky color ; the vertex covered by a somewhat shield-shaped horny plate, of a lighter 
color, the neck with transverse, somewhat ovate, bark-like, rugose scales. Plumage in general 
uniform white, the primary-coverts, remiges, and rectrices black, with metallic purple, bronze, and 
green reflections. “ Bill dusky yellowish brown, the edges yellow ; sides of the head dark bluish 
purple, upper part of head horn-color, or dull grayish yellow, the rest of the bare skin of the same 
tint, many of the scales anteriorly blue ; iris deep brown, at a distance seeming black ; tibia and 
tarsus indigo-blue ; toes above black, on the lateral and hind toes, however, many of the scutelloe 
bluish gray, the webs pale yellowish flesh-color ; claws black ” (Audubon). Youiuj : Head and 
neck covered with rather scant, somewhat “ woolly ” feathers, excepting the forehead, anterior part 
of the crown, lores, anterior portion of malar region, chin, and anterior part of throat, which are 
covered with a smooth skin. Head and neck grayish brown, darkest on the occiput (where dark 
sooty), growing gradually paler below. Rest of the plumage as in the adult, but the black feath- 
ers of wings and tail less metallic. 1 Immature : Head bare and corrugated, as in the adult ; neck 
feathered, as in the young. Wing, 17.60-19.50; tail, 6.10-7.30; culmen, 7.55-9.30; depth of 
bill through nostril, 1.55-1.00 ; tarsus, 7.00-8.50 ; middle toe, 3.85-4.30 ; bare part of tibia, 5.00- 
6.25 ; 2 weight, 1 If lbs. ; total length, 44-1 inches ; extent of wings, 62 inches (Audubon). 
Varying accounts have been given of the habits and peculiarities of this re- 
markable species ; and although some of these divergencies have at first appeared 
irreconcilable with each other, and as if one or the other statement must be utterly 
erroneous, more recent investigations have done much to explain and harmonize 
these apparent discords. Bartram, who enjoyed many opportunities for observing 
the habits of this species in Florida, characterizes it as solitary and indolent, sel- 
dom associating in flocks, usually frequenting the banks of the principal rivers 
and marshes, especially where these are inundated, as well as deserted rice-planta- 
tions near the sea-coast. He describes it as a feathered hermit standing listless 
and alone on the topmost limb of some tall decayed cypress, its neck drawn in 
1 According to Audubon, “tlie young are dusky gray all over, the quills and tail brownish black ; 
the head all covered with down, excepting just at the base of the bill. After the first moult, the bare 
space extends over the head and cheeks ; the downy feathers of the hind head and neck are dusky ; the 
general color of the plumage is white, the quills and tail as in the adult, but with less gloss.” 
2 Ten adults measured. 
