154 
BLUE HERON. 
Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neele very long and slender. 
Body slender and compressed. Feet very long ; tibia elongated, its lower 
half bare, very slender, covered all round with angular scales, of which the 
posterior are large ; tarsus elongated, slender, compresse I. a iteriorly cov- 
ered with numerous broad scutella, laterally and behind with angular 
scales. Toes long, slender, with numerous broad scutella above, flattened 
and reticularly granulate beneath. Claws rather long, arched, compressed, 
acute, that of hind toe much larger and more curved, the inner edge of 
that of the third finely and regularly pectinate. 
Space between the bill and eye, and around the latter, bare. Plumage 
soft, thin, and blended. Feathers of the upper and hind part of the head 
very long, linear, with loose barbs ; of the sides of the neck loose and 
inclined obliquely backwards, of its lower part much elongated, narrow, and 
tapering to a point ; of the middle of the back extremely long, linear, acumi- 
nate, their tips projecting about five inches beyond the tail. Wings long, 
and very broad ; primaries broad, tapering, and rounded, the first, second 
and third almost equal, the latter being only a twelfth of an inch longer , 
secondaries broad and rounded ; some of the inner only half an inch shorter 
than the longest primary, when the wing is closed. Tail very short, small, 
even, of twelve rather weak feathers. 
Bill ultramarine blue at the base, gradually shaded into black towards the 
point ; the bare space between it and the eye, as well as the edges of the 
eyelids, ultramarine. Iris pale yellow. Legs, tarsi, toes, and claws, black. 
Head and neck of a rich deep purple, inclining to vinaceous ; the lower 
part of the neck and all the other parts deep greyish-blue, the edges of the 
feathers lighter. 
Length to end of tail 244 inches, to end of wings 25, to end of elongated 
dorsal feathers 2 62 , to end of claws 30f ; wing from flexure 114 ; tail 4 r \; 
extent of wings 42 ; bill along the ridge 3 r 4 2 , along the edge of lower man- 
dible 4 ; bare part of tibia 2 T 2 2 ; tarsus 8/2 first toe its claw T %- ; mid- 
dle toe 2-J-, its claw r \. Weight 1 lb. 
The Female is similar to the male, but smaller. Weight 11 oz. 
The young are at first sparely covered with yellowish-white down. 
When a fortnight old, the bill is yellow, with the tips greenish-black ; the 
feet greenish-yellow, the claws dusky, with the tips greyish-yellow. The 
general colour of the plumage is pure white, but the down which tips the 
feathers of the head is brownish-white ; two of the alular feathers are 
tinged with dull bluish-grey, and the outer seveu or eight primaries are 
broadly margined on both sides to the length of about an inch and a half, 
with the same colour of a deeper tint, the extreme tip white. 
When fully fledged, the bare parts at the base of the bill, and the basal 
