The Jjh-coIouP d Heron from North- America. 
HIS Bird differs from our common Heron in being fomething bigger, and of 
a browner Afh-Colour on its Back, in having no white Feathers on its Fore- 
head, or black Spots on its Sides below the Bottom of the Neck. Some of its Mea- 
fures are as follows ; from the Point of the Bill to the Angle of the Mouth full fix 
Inches; the Wing when clofed is eighteen Inches long; the Leg Bone from the Knee 
to the Foot fix Inches and a half ; the middle Toe to the End of the Nail or Claw 
five Inches and a Quarter : The Legs bare of Feathers above Knee three Inches. 
The Bill is ftraight, fharp-pointed, and toothed both above and beneath toward 
the Point. The upper Mandible is channelled and Black of Colour, the Noftrils 
are placed in the Channels and pretty near the Head; between the Noftrit and 
the Eye the Skin is void of Feathers, and of a greenifh, yellow Colour ; the lower 
Mandible is Yellow, or Orange-colour’d > the Eyes are placed over the Angles of the 
Mouth ; the Top of the Head is wholly cover’d with long black Feathers, which 
form a Crefi: of feven or eight Inches long, if meafur’d from the Bafe of the Bill 
backward ; the Sides and under Part of the Head is White. The Neck is cover’d 
with long flender Feathers, of a brownifh Colour, barred tranfverfly with Dufky on 
the Hinder-part : The Feathers on the Fore-part of the Neck have broad white 
Dafhes down their Middles, being Black on each Side, with reddifh-brown Edges, 
which makes an agreeable Variation ; the Back, upper Side of the Wings, and Tail, 
are of a brownifh Afh-Colour ; the Covert-Feathers of the Wings are lighter, the 
Quill and the Tail-Feathers darker. The Skin that conne&s the Joints of the Wing 
in its upper Part is cover’d without and within Side with fmall dufky Feathers with 
reddifh Tips. The Sides under the Wings, and the inner Coverts of the Wings are 
of a blueifh Afh-Colour ; the Breaft is White, fpotted with longifh black Spots, with 
a little reddifh Brown intermixed ;. the Thighs are of a reddifh Brown ; the lower 
Belly and Covert-Feathers under the Tail are White ; the Back is cover’d with Afli- 
colour’d Down, which is hid by the long Feathers fpringing from the Shoulders ; the 
Knees and the bare Spaces above them are cover’d with yellow Scales; the Legs, 
from the Knees downwards, and the Feet are cover’d with black or dufky Scales ; the 
Claws are Black, the middle ones pe&inated ; the outer Toe is joined to the.middle 
one by a Web a little Way ; the Toes, efpeciaily the back Toe, are much longer in 
Proportion to the Legs than in the Crane-kind. 
This Bird was brought well preferv’d from Hudfon’s-Bay by Mr, IJham. I cannot difcover 
any Defcription agreeing with the above, fo fhail pronounce it a Non-defcript. This is one of 
the biggeft of the Her on-kind But Mr. Catejby has defcribed one of North- America, feemingly 
to me, much larger ; he has given a Figure of the Plead only as b'g as the Life *, he makes the 
Bill meafure from the Point to the Angles of the Mouth feven Inches and three Quarters ; and 
if the other Parts bear Proportion with the Meafures of the above defcribed, it muft be much 
bigger than mine. See his iargeft creiled Pleron, P. io. of the Appendix to his Natural IPJlory 
Carolina, &c. 
2 
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