GREEN HERON.
siderable distance* they draw it in like all other ¡-pedes of the tribe,
and- advance with regular and firm movements of their wings.. When
alighting to rest, they come down with such force, that their passage
causes a rustling sound like that produced by birds of prey when pouncing
on their quarry, and On perching they stretch up their neck and
jerk their tail repeatedly for some time, as they are also wont to do
on any other occasion when alarmed.
'I'lie Green Herons feed all day long, but, as I think, rarely at
night. Their food consists of frogs, fishes, «pails, tadpoles, water lizards,
crabs, and small quadrupeds, all of which they procure without
much exertion, they being abundant in the places to which they usually
resort; Their gaiftjg light but firm. During the lovf-soason they
exhibit many curious gestures, orocting all the feathers of their neck,
swelling their throat, and uttering a rough guttural note like qua, epa,
several times repeated by the male as he. si ruts before the female. This
note is also usually emitted when they are started, bi i when fairly on
wing they proceed in-'sjlenee. The flesh of this species affords tolerable
eating, and Green Herons are not unfrc'qucmtiy seen in the market» of
our Southern cities, especially of New Orleans,
The young attain their full beauty in the second spring, but continue
to grow for at least another year. The., changes which thev exhibit,
although by no means so: remarkable,-as those of J rtlea rufescem
and .*!. cerulea, have proved smTu-.ient to cause mistakes among authors
who had nothing but skins on which to found their decisions. I have
given figures of an adult in lull plumage, and of an immature bird, to
enable you to judge how carefully Berime ought to be studied to enableyou
to keep tree of mistakes.
ARDEA VIRESCENS, Lim/. Syst. Nat. Toi £ p. 238.—Lath. Ind. Ornitli. vol. ii. p. 684.
ùpjShm. BoM$i>irte, Svnop*:» of Birds of l.'n:îod Statt*, p. 307.
GREEN HERON, ARDEA VIRESCENS, W-'HS. Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p. 97, pi. 61,
fig. I. r-Xuttall, AlauuiU, vol. ii. p. US.
Adult Male. Plate CCCXXXIII. Fig, 1.
Bill longer than the head, straight, rather- slender, tapering to a
very acute point, higher than broad at the base, compressed towards
the end. Upper mandible with its dorsal line very slightly arched, the
GREEN HERON.
ridge broad and rather flattened at the base, nan-owed towaa-ds
the sides sloping, • towards the edges,' which ate s h a r p and direct,
h • acute' • depression iong, with a groove extending* ne»
the p i t - , nostrils basal, • • B H |
«he L i e W l ^ and narrow, the dorsal lrne slopmg upwards, the
S e r v i n g outwlds and nearly fia^the edges sharp, tbe Up acu-
'"'"uoicJ oWong, much compressed. H H H
much compressed. Feet rather long, moderately stout; tibia | g g §
« a n inch; tosi of moderate length, covered with hexagonal |
of which some of the anterior are much larger and seuteMorm. Toes
rather long and slender, with numerous scutella H m m H
second and fourth nearly equal, third much longer; H H H
slender, arched, Compressed, acute, middle toe expanded ^ d
serrated ion therinn'siedge'.': I •
A large W M I from the bill to behind the eye bare. Plumage
very soft, loose, a n d b l e n d e d fathers of the hindhead e ongated
and erectile, a« are those of the neck generally, but especially^ its
hind and lower anterior parts ; .of the fore part o • B B M BWWl ^ H f t•he bac•k mue•h elon-i
rounded; second and third qnills equal and l'ongest, first and fourth
equal and hut slightly shorter, the rest slowly graduated; secondare
broad and rounded. Tail very short, even, of twelve, broad, soft fea-
''" 'liill greenish-black above, bright yellow beneath. • a«d bare
part about the eye also bright yellow. Beet, g§ |
— Upper part of the head and nape glossy deep green. Neck
purplish-red, tinged with lilac behind, and having anteriorly a longitudinalbandof
white, s p « e d with dusky-brows; a simUarwhite band along
the base of lower mtmdible to bey,qnd the eye, Elongated feathers of
the back greyish-green, in some lights bluish-grey, wife shafts
• H M the rest of the back similar ; the. upper tail-covevts and
tail bluish-green; th'e lateral • feathers Slightly margined with white.
Scapulars, wing-coverts, and inner secondaries, deep glossy green,
bordered with — primary quills and outer secondaries
greyish-blue Jinged with green, Lower parts pale purplish-brown
tinged With grey; axillary feathers purplish-grey, as are some of the
lower wing-coverts •; lower tail-coverts greyish-white.