COMMON HERON. 
127 
ened into narrow points of a much paler tint, 
and which now gives the prevailing shade to the 
back. The quills are dark dull bluish-black. The 
forehead, crown, cheeks, chin, and throat, are pure 
white, and from above each eye proceeds a broad 
stripe of deep black, which meets from both sides 
upon the hind-head, and from which springs the 
graceful long narrow plumes of the same colour, 
forming the crest. The whole plumes on the 
crown are lengthened, but the true crest, gene- 
rally consisting of only two narrow feathers, is 
often from six to seven inches in length. The 
neck above, and on the sides, is of a rich pur- 
plish-grey, shading into the colour of the back as 
it approaches ; the fore part of the neck is relieved 
by two lines of white feathers, black for a portion 
of the one-half, gradually elongating to the lower 
part of the neck, where they become of one colour 
and lengthen into narrow points, often five or six 
inches long, of a yellowish-white, and which hang 
gracefully from the sides, as well as the fore part 
of the neck and breast. The centre of the breast 
and belly is pure white, but it is bordered and 
relieved on each side by a streak of black, aris- 
ing, from the anterior sides of the breast, in two 
broad tufts of loose lengthened feathers. The 
thighs and under tail-coverts are white. The feet 
and legs are yellowish-brown, but the naked parts 
of the tibiae are yellow, shading into brown as they 
reach the tarsal joint. The bill is nearly deep 
yellow, inclining upon the ridge to brownish, and 
