GREAT WHITE HERON. 
83 
tinct species, which he named A. wurdemanni j and in the “ Key,” 
issued in 1872, Cones also gave •wurde 7 nanni specific rank. In the 
“ History of North American Birds,” issued in 1884, for which work 
Baird and Ridgway contributed the technical matter, wurdemanni 
Was relegated to the synonymy of occidcntalis ; and to the opinion 
thus emphasized, that the blue color merely represents a dichroma- 
tic phase of the White Heron, Coucs added the weight of his au- 
thority in the 1887 edition of the “ Key.” Ridgway, however, 
in his “ Manual,” also published in 1887, returned to Baird’s first 
decision, and gave wtirdemawii specific rank ; but the A. O. U. 
still retain it on their “ hypothetical list,” adding in a note that it 
is believed to be the colored phase of occidenialis or an abnormal 
specimen of wardi. This last suggestion has been made by sev- 
eral writers as a possible solution of the problem which these 
birds offer, while others have contended that both blue and white 
specimens, as well as those referred to wardi, are but variations of 
the Great Blue Heron, I have treated the blue bird as a phase of 
the present species partly because this seemed the most conve- 
nient pigeon-hole in which to place the fact of its existence, but 
tnore especially because I think this is where it will finally rest. 
The difficulty in reaching a decisive solution of this problem lies 
chiefly in the fact that very little reliable evidence has been ob- 
tained. The birds are found only in an out-of-the-way corner of 
southwestern Florida and in Jamaica, and even in these localities 
^te not common, — indeed, blue-colored specimens are quite rare. 
And the problem is likely to remain unsolved for many a year to 
come, if not forever; for the plume-hunters have discovered the 
haunts of the White Herons, and are gathering them in, — shooting 
the birds, cutting off their plumes, and throwing the carcases to 
he Vultures, — in an effort to meet the demands of fashion. 
Br habits the White Heron does not differ materially from its 
^ore common congeners. It is a little less inclined for companion- 
ship, and is somewhat fiercer. 
Examples of this species have been taken in Indiana and Illinois, 
ut these were probably accidental wanderers. 
