PURPLE HERON. 
131 
much greater than in the last, the centre toe, with 
its claw, being nearly equal to the tarsus in length. 
The claws are much more lengthened, slender, and 
less bent. The bill is nearly pure gamboge-yellow, 
shading from brown upon the ridge and extremity 
of the mandible. 
In a specimen which we received as a female, 
and in which the elongated feathers of both the 
breast and lower part of the neck were marked 
as in the last described, the upper plumage has a 
brown tint spread over, the occipital crest is short, 
and the stripes of black on the neck are only 
slightly indicated. The purplish-brown on the 
sides of the breast is not so deep, and none of the 
colours are so vivid or well defined. 
In an immature bird, brown is the prevailing- 
colour, the upper plumes being all broadly edged 
with it. The crown and occiput chestnut, without 
a crest, and the sides and fore part of the neck 
yellowish-white, marked on both with lengthened 
dashes of brownish-black ; no elongated feathers 
either there or upon the back. 
