Bill black. Iris deep bright red. Feet, tarsi, and toes, of a livid greyish-blue, their inner sides tinged with pale yellowish flesh-colour; claws black, lighter at the base; webs brownish-black, lighter in the middle. Head and neck dark greenish-blue, with purple reflections. On the throat a small transverse patch of white, longitudinally striated with dusky; about the middle of the neck, two large patches of the same, separated in front to the distance of an inch, behind continuous, but when the feathers are laid close, appearing as if separated by a longitudinal dark band about half an inch in breadth. The under parts glossy white, excepting the feathers on the sides under the wing, which are black, each with two, three, or four elliptical white spots, a faint dusky band across the vent, the lower tail-coverts, which are brownish-black tipped with white, and the axillar feathers and larger wing-coverts, which have a dusky streak along the middle. The sides of the neck at its lower part are longitudinally streaked with black and white, there being two oblong spots of the latter on each feather towards the end. The upper parts are glossy black, variegated with spots of white in regular transverse slightly-curved lines having the convexity backwards. These spots vary in form and size, being small and roundish towards the neck and sides, larger and somewhat four-sided along the middle of the back: largest and rectangular on the scapulars, very small and roundish on the hind part of the back and tail-coverts. The upper part of the wing is similar, with smallish spots; the alula and quill brownish-black, a few of the inner secondaries only having two white spots at their extremity. Tail brownish-black, paler at the tip.

Adult Male.Adult Male.Young.
Length to the end of tail,32 7/83631 1/4
................................claws,39 1/440 1/236
................................wings,31 1/4—29 3/4
carpal joint,16 3/4—16 1/4
Extent of wings,57 1/25254 1/2
Wing from flexure,15 1/2—14 1/4
Depth of body,—6—
Breadth,—9 1/2—
Bill along the ridge,—3 4/12—
Gape-line,—4 1/2—
Tarsus,—3 5/12—
Hind toe,—9 1/2—
Its claw,—2/12—
Outer toe and claw,—4 1/2—
Middle toe,—4 1/4—
Inner,—3 9/12—
Tail,—29 1/12—
Wing from flexure,—14 1/2—
Weight,8 3/48 1/29

The female is generally smaller, but in all other respects resembles the male. Weight 10 lb. 11 oz.

Young in winter. Plate, CCCVI. Fig. 2.

Bill pale yellowish-green, the ridge and tip of the upper mandible dusky. Iris brown. Feet dusky externally, pale yellowish flesh-colour internally, webs dusky, but yellow in the middle. Claws yellowish-brown. All the upper parts are of a uniform dark greyish-brown, each feather margined with lighter, the lower parts white; the sides of the neck at the lower part whitish, streaked with dusky; the sides dusky, without spots.

Towards spring the eye assumes a redder tint, and the plumage of the upper parts gradually becomes spotted with white; and when the moult is completed about the end of summer, the plumage is as in the adult, although the tints are improved at each successive moult for several years.

A fine male killed at Boston, 34 inches in length, with an alar extent of 56, presents the following characters. There is a general layer of subcutaneous adipose tissue, and the skin is very tenacious. The external aperture of the ear roundish, very small, having a diameter of only 2 lines. The tongue is 2 inches 1 line in length, fleshy, as high as broad, slightly concave and longitudinally grooved above, tapering to a horny point. On the palate are 6 rows of papillæ; the posterior aperture of the nares is linear 2 1/2 inches in length. The aperture of the glottis is 1/2 an inch long, with numerous papillæ along its sides and behind. The pharynx is extremely dilatable, as is the œsophagus, which is 17 inches long, passes along the right side of the neck, together with the trachea, and when distended has an average diameter of 2 1/2 inches, but on entering the thorax contracts to 1 1/2. The structure of the œsophagus in birds may be very conveniently examined in this species, the different layers being remarkably developed in it. Properly speaking, it has only two coats,—the outer muscular, its external layer composed of transverse or circular fibres, the internal of equally distinct longitudinal fibres, which are not straight, but irregularly undulated. The inner, or mucous coat, when contracted falls into longitudinal plaits. The proventriculus is 2 3/4 inches long, the glandules large, roundish, simple, and disposed in a continuous belt. Over this part, the transverse muscular fibres are remarkably developed. The right lobe of the liver is 5 3/4 inches long, the left lobe 5 1/2. The heart is very large, of a broadly conical form, 3 inches long, 2 3/4 inches in breadth. The stomach is three inches long, 2 1/2 in breadth, of an elliptical form, a little compressed; its lateral muscles 9 lines in thickness, and composed of strong large fasciculi; the tendons 1 1/2 inch in diameter; the cuticular lining thick, its upper and lower parts marked with strong longitudinal ridges having numerous transverse fissures; the grinding surfaces irregularly wrinkled, with a deep fissure down the middle of each. The pylorus is 8 lines in diameter when distended, and is destitute of valve, but has a strong prominent rim. In the stomach were remains of fishes, and some pebbles, chiefly quartz, the largest 4 lines long. The intestine measures 6 feet 6 inches in length, and varies in diameter from 8 to 6 lines. The rectum is 3 1/2 inches long, the cloaca extremely large, forming a cavity about 3 inches in diameter. The cæca are 1 3/4 inch long, cylindrical, rounded at the extremity; one of them 7 lines, the other 9 lines, in diameter.

The trachea, when moderately extended, measures 13 1/2 inches in length, inconsiderably depressed, its transverse diameter at the upper part 9 1/2 lines, at the lower 6 1/2 lines; the rings cartilaginous, of moderate breadth, uniform, with a contraction in the middle before and behind, their number 134, the four lowest united. The bronchi are composed of about 20 narrow cartilaginous half rings. The contractor muscles are very broad but thin, their fibres irregularly disposed in front; they become thicker and narrower toward the lower part, and are continued beyond the sterno-tracheal muscles, which come off from the 20th ring from the inferior larynx, to the membrane between the last tracheal and first bronchial ring.

BLUE HERON.

Ardea cœrulea, Linn.
PLATE CCCVII. Adult Male and Young.