LOUISIANA HERON. 
87 
by the slightest motion of the air ; these shafts curl 
upwards at the ends. When the bird is irritated, and 
erects those airy plumes, they have a very elegant 
appearance : the leg’s and naked part of the thighs are 
black ; the feet, bright yellow ; claws, black, the middle 
one pectinated. 
The female can scarcely be distinguished by her 
plumage, having not only the crest, but all the orna- 
ments of the male, though not quite so long and 
flowing. 
The young birds of the first season are entirely 
destitute of the long plumes of the breast and back ; 
but, as all those that have been examined in spring are 
found crested and ornamented as above, they doubtless 
receive their full dress on the first moulting'. Those 
shot in October measured twenty-two inches in length, 
by thirtjr-four in extent ; the crest was beginning to 
form ; the legs, yellowish green, daubed with black ; 
the feet, greenish yellow ; the low r er mandible white at 
the base ; the wings, when shut, nearly of a length with 
the tail, which is even at the end. 
The little egret, or European species, is said by 
Latham and Turton to be nearly a foot in length; 
Bewick observes, that it rarely exceeds a foot and a 
half; has a much shorter crest, with two long feathers ; 
the feet are black ; and the long plumage of the back, 
instead of turning up at the extremity, falls over the 
rump. 
The young of both these birds are generally very fat, 
and esteemed by some people as excellent eating. 
205 . ARDEA LUDOVICIANA , WILSON. LOUISIANA HERON. 
WILSON, PLATE LXIV. FIG. I. EDINBURGH COLLEGE MUSEUM. 
This is a rare and delicately formed species, occa- 
sionally found on the swampy river shores of South 
Carolina, but more frequently along the borders of the 
Mississippi, particularly below" New Orleans. In each 
of these places it is migratory ; and in the latter, as I 
