64 B L U E HERON.
the white was still prevalent. I have shot some % Louisiana, in autumn,
in the same curious (lress.
This species, though larger than the Showy Heron, A rdtn candidissima,
is considerably inferior to it in courage ; and I was much amused
as well as surprised, when at Galyeston Bay, on the 24th of April
1837, to see one of Hint species alight near a Purple Heron, attack it,
and pursue i t as far as I could follow them with my eyes. When the
Blue Herons are on the sea-coast they not unfrequently repose on the
large mud or sand bars, at some distance from the adjacent marshes ;
but they "generally piefer roosting on trees or bushes, when there are
any in their neighbourhood. The Creoles of Louisiana not unfrequently
eat the flesh of this species, and although they by no means consider it
equal to that of the Night Heron, some of them have assured me that
it is not bad food. Like other birds of this family, they become larger
with age, and the malt* is usually somewhat superior in size to the
female ; but, with this exception, no difference can be perceived in the
external appearance of the sexes.
A r ì j e a c c e r u l e a Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. 1. p. 238.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 689.
A r d e a Cìì.ri'lka, ("A. Bominrte, Synopsis, p. 800.
B l u e Heron, A r b e a clek.ui.ea, Wils. Amer . Ormt-h. vol. vii. p. 117. p!. 62. fig. 3.
•i'fgiljjilS'ij
B l u e Heron, Nuttall, Manual , vol. ii. p. 58.
Adult Male in fall.plumage. Plate CCCVI. ®ig. 1.
Bill much longer than the head, rather slender, very slightlydecurved,
compressed, tapering to a point. '''Upper mandible with the dorsal line
nearly straight lor two-thirds of its length, then slightly decurved, the
ridge convex, broad at the1 base, gradually narrowed to the point ; a
groove from the base to near the end, the sides convex beneath, the
edges thin and sharp, with ;a slight notch close to the tips. Nostrils,
basal, linear, longitudinal, with a membrane above and behind. Lower
mandible with the angle extremely narrow and elongated, the dorsal
line beyond it aseending and almost straight, the sides sloping outwards,
and flattened, the edges sharp and slightly inflected, the tip acuminate.
Head rather small, oblong, compresse^ Neck very long and slender.
Body slender and compressed. Feet very long ; tibia elongated,
B L U E HERON. 65
its lower half bare, very slender, covered all round with angular scales,
oi' which the posterior are large; tarsus elongated, slender, compressed,
anteriorly covered with numerous broad, scutella, laterally and behind
withra-ngular scales. Toes long, slender, with numerous broad scutella
above, flat toned 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 epj,, and around the;latter, bare. Plumage
soft, tirins and blended. Feathers of the upper ¡pid hind part of
the head very long,, linear, with loose barbs; tjt" the sides of the neck
Igose 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, acuminate, their tips...projecting about five
inches bey pad S B tail. Wings long, and very broad; primaries broad,
t a p f i n g , and rounded, the first, second and third almost equal, the
latter being oily a twelfth of an,, inch -longer: secondaries broad and
rounded;: sonii-'ofitheiinner only half an inch shorter than the longest
primary, when the wing « c los ed. Tail very short, small, even, of twelve
rather weak feathers. '
Bill ultramarine blue.1 at the., base,•• cradually shaded into black towards
the point: the: bare space between it and'the eve; as well as the
edges of the eyelids, ultramarine. Iris pale yellow. Legs, tarsi, toes,
a i d claws, black. Head - a nd 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 21 Jjnches , to end of wings 25, to end of elongated
dorsal feathers 26|,; to end of claws 30f ; wing from flexure 11$ ;
tail 4&. j- extftjat of wings 42; bill along the ridge 3At along the edge
of lower mandible 4;,bare part of tijjia ; tarsus 3A ; first toe its
claw «¡¿middlf;H 2 | , its .»law. iV 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 seven or eight primaries
are broadly margined on' both sides to the length of about an
vol.. IV. K