Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Neck very long and
slender. Body slender and compressed; wings large. Feet very long 5
tibia elongated, its lower half bare, very slender, covered all round with
hexagonal scales; tar3us elongated, thicker than the lower part of the
tibia, compressed, covered anteriorly with large scutella, excepting at the
two extremities, where it is scaly, the sides and hind part with angular
scales. Toes of moderate length, rather slender, scutellate above, reticularly
granulate beneath, third toe much longer than second and fourth,
which are nearly equal, first shorter, but strong; claws of moderate size,
strong, compressed, arched, rather acute, the thin inner edge of that of
the third toe finely serrated.
Sj)ace between the bill and eye, and around the latter, bare, as is
the lower half of the tibia. Plumage soft, generally loose. Feathers of
the upper part of the head long, tapering, decurved, two of them extremely
elongated; of the back long and loose, of the rump soft and
downy; scapulars with extremely long slender rather compact points.
Feathers of the fore neck much elongated and extremely slender, of the
sides of the breast anteriorly very large, curved and loose; of the forepart
of the breast narrower and elongated, as they are generally on the
rest of the lower surface; on the tibia short. Wings, large, rounded;
primaries curved, strong, broad, tapering towards the end, the outer cut
out on both margins, second and third longest; secondaries very large,
broad and rounded, extending beyond the primaries when the wing is
closed. Tail of moderate length, rounded, of twelve rather broad, rounded
feathers.
Bill yellow, dusky green above, loral and orbital spaces light green.
Iris bright yellow. Feet olivaceous, paler above the tibio-tarsal joints;
claws black. Forehead pure white; the rest of the elongated feathers
bluish-black ; throat white, neck pale purplish-brown, the elongated feathers
beneath greyish-white, part of their inner webs purplish-blue. Upper
parts in general light greyish-blue, the elongated tips of the scapulars
greyish-white, the edge of the wing, some feathers at the base of the
fore neck, and the tibial feathers, brownish-orange. The two tufts of
large curved feathers on the fore part of the breast bluish-black, some of
them with a central stripe of white. Lower surface of the wings and the
sides light greyish-blue; elongated feathers of the breast white, their inner
edge black, of the abdomen chiefly black; lower tail-coverts white,
some of them with an oblique mark of black near the tip.
Length to end of tail 48 inches, to end of claws 63 inches, extent of
wings 72; bill 5-£, gape 7 T \ ; tarsus 6£, middle toe and claw 5, hind toe
and claw 2^, naked part of tibia 4 ; wings from flexure 20 ; tail 7.
EDT to Jieq TSTfof 9(fe MUTE reiouij thategnofe aims* ;<&fs93 laaogfixsii
The Female, when in full plumage, is precisely similar to the Male.
•scfirgiiE IHSW i i s q bfliif bns. S&HFA e.dj.. t'*h»a ei ^sarfw t»s&ifffaiiX9 OFFS
On Prince Edward's Island, in the Gulf of St Lawrence, there is
a fine breeding-place of the Great Blue Heron, which is probably the
most northern on the Atlantic coast of North America. The birds there
are more shy than they usually are at the period of breeding, and in the
most cowardly manner abandon their young to the mercy of every intruder.
A friend of mine who visited this place for the purpose of pro-
Curing adult birds in their best plumage, to add to his already extensive
collection, found it extremely difficult to obtain his object, until he at
length thought of covering himself with the hide of an ox, under the disguise
of which he readily got within shot of the birds, which were completely
deceived by the stratagem.
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