Part 127

Bill greyish-blue, at the base mottled with dusky; feet pale lake; head yellowish-green; space around the eye and gular sac orpiment-orange; a band of black from the lower mandible to the occiput; feathers of the neck white; back and wings rose-coloured; lower parts of a deeper colour; tuft of recurved feathers on fore neck, a broad band across the wing, along the cubitus, and the upper and lower tail-coverts, rich carmine, with silky lustre; shafts of quills and scapulars light carmine; on each side of the lower part of the neck a patch of pale ochre; tail-feathers ochre-yellow, but at the base roseate.

Male, 30-3/4, 53. Female, 28, 48.

Constant resident in the Texas, South Florida, and as far eastward as North Carolina, where it is however very rare. Occasionally in summer up the Mississippi to Natchez. Breeds in flocks on trees, low bushes, or cactuses.

Roseate Spoonbill, Platalea Ajaja, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. vii. p. 123.

Platalea Ajaja, Bonap. Syn. p. 346.

Roseate Spoonbill, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 79.

Roseate Spoonbill, Platalea Ajaja, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 188.

FAMILY XXXVIII. ARDEINÆ. HERONS.

Bill longer than the head, stout, tapering, compressed, pointed, its edges often irregularly serrate. Head oblong, compressed; neck very long; body much compressed. Eyes large or moderate. Nostrils basal, linear, longitudinal. Legs long, rather slender; tibia bare to a great extent; tarsus compressed, anteriorly scutellate; toes rather long, the first on the same place, of moderate size, the outer toe a little longer than the inner, and with a slight web at the base; all compressed and scutellate. Claws rather long, arched, compressed, acute, that of the hind toe larger and more curved. Plumage blended. Wings long, very broad, with the outer four quills longest, secondaries very long. Tail very short, nearly even, of twelve rather weak feathers. Œsophagus very wide, without dilatation; stomach small, very thin, with the inner coat soft and smooth; intestine very long and extremely narrow; no cœcal appendages, but the large intestine forming a small sac at its commencement; cloaca very large, globular. Trachea simple, generally cylindrical, with the bronchi wide, and a single pair of slender inferior laryngeal muscles. Nests large, flat, widely constructed, placed on trees, bushes, sometimes on the ground; eggs from three to four, oval, light blue. Young remain in the nest until fledged.

GENUS I. ARDEA, Linn. HERON.

* Night Herons. Bill slightly longer than the head, stout, tapering, compressed, with the upper outline somewhat curved; legs of moderate length, bare part of tibia short; neck thick; body full; feathers of the neck elongated and curved backwards.

365. 1. Ardea Nycticorax, Linn. Black-crowned Night Heron.--Qua-Bird.

Plate CCXXXVI. Adult and Young.

Male with the feathers of the upper and hind part of the head elongated and loose, three or four very long linear, incurved occipital feathers, not present in winter; upper part of the head and back glossy blackish-green; anterior part of forehead and elongated occipital feathers white; neck anteriorly yellowish-white, on the sides and behind shaded into pale lilac, the lower elongated feathers tinged with cream-colour; breast and abdomen white; wings, rump, and tail light greenish-blue, tinged with lilac. Female similar. Young, when fledged, with the upper parts pale purplish-brown, streaked and spotted with yellowish-white; lower parts yellowish-white, streaked with light purplish-brown. Young after first moult purplish-brown, tinged with grey above, brownish-white beneath, the upper part of the head dull greenish-black.

Male, 25-7/12, 44.

Resident in the Floridas and Texas, where it breeds. Migrates in spring eastward as far as Maine, up the Mississippi to Memphis. Occurs one hundred miles inland. Rather common. Returns southward early in autumn.

Night Heron or Qua-Bird, Ardea Nycticorax, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. vii. p. 3.

Ardea Nycticorax, Bonap. Syn. p. 306.

Qua-Bird or American Night Heron, Ardea discors, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 54.

Night Heron, Ardea Nycticorax, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iii. p. 275; v. v. p. 600.

366. 2. Ardea violacea, Linn. Yellow-crowned Night Heron.

Plate CCCXXXVI. Male and Young.

Male with the feathers on the upper part of the head lanceolate and acuminate, those on the occiput very long and linear; between the scapulæ two longitudinal series of very elongated feathers with loose margins, the longest extending far beyond the tail; occipital and dorsal plumes not present in winter; head and throat greenish-black, crown and band on each side below the eye white, the former tinged with reddish-yellow; general colours light greyish-blue; the feathers of the fore part of the back and wings with their central parts bluish-black, margined with bluish-white; quills and tail dark greyish-blue; edge of wings white. Female similar. Young in its first plumage dark greyish-white, beneath dull yellowish-white, streaked with dark brown.

Adult, 23-1/2, 43-1/2. Young in October 23-1/2, 40.

A few spend the winter in Florida. Migrates in spring as far as New Jersey, up the Mississippi to Natchez. Never goes far inland. Not very abundant. Migratory.

Yellow-crowned Heron, Ardea violacea, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. viii. p. 26.

Ardea violacea, Bonap. Syn. p. 306.

White-crowned Heron, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 52.