38 
ARDEA LUDOVICIANA. 
have been informed, builds its nest on trees, amidst the 
inundated woods. Its manners correspond very much 
with those of the blue heron. It is quick in all its 
motions, darting’ about after its prey with surprising- 
agility. Small fish, frogs, lizards, tadpoles, and various 
aquatic insects, constitute its principal food. 
There is a bird described by Latham in his General 
Synopsis , vol. iii, p. 88, called the demi egret,* which, 
from the account there given, seems to approach near 
to the present species. It is said to inhabit Cayenne. 
Length of the Louisiana heron, from the point of the 
bill to the extremity of the tail, twenty-three inches ; 
the long hair-like plumage of the rump and lower part 
of the back extends several inches farther ; the bill is 
remarkably long, measuring full five inches, of a 
yellowish green at the base, black towards the point, 
and very sharp; irides, yellow; chin and throat, white, 
dotted with ferruginous and some blue ; the rest of the 
neck is of a light vinous purple, intermixed on the 
lower part next the breast with dark slate coloured 
plumage ; the whole feathers of the neck are long, 
narrow, and pointed ; head, crested, consisting first of 
a number of long, narrow, purple feathers, and under 
these seven or eight pendent ones, of a pure white, and 
twice the length of the former ; upper part of the back 
and wings, light slate ; lower part of the back and rump, 
white, but concealed by a mass of long unwebbed hair- 
like plumage, that falls over the tail and tips of the 
wings, extending three inches beyond them ; these 
plumes are of a dirty purplish brown at the base, and 
lighten towards the extremities to a pale cream colour; 
the tail is even at the tip, rather longer than the wings, 
and of a fine slate ; the legs and naked thighs, greenish 
yellow; middle claw, pectinated; whole lower parts, 
pure white. Male and female alike in plumage, both 
being crested. 
See also Buffon, vol. vii, p. 378, 
