Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Getting Started With Enterprise Architecture: A Practical and Pragmatic Approach To Learning The Basics of Enterprise Architecture Eric Jager
Getting Started With Enterprise Architecture: A Practical and Pragmatic Approach To Learning The Basics of Enterprise Architecture Eric Jager
https://ebookmass.com/product/getting-started-with-enterprise-
architecture-a-practical-and-pragmatic-approach-to-learning-the-
basics-of-enterprise-architecture-1st-edition-eric-jager/
https://ebookmass.com/product/solution-architecture-patterns-for-
enterprise-a-guide-to-building-enterprise-software-systems-1st-
edition-chanaka-fernando/
https://ebookmass.com/product/the-togafr-enterprise-architecture-
foundation-study-guide-preparation-for-the-togaf-enterprise-
architecture-part-1-examination-van-haren-publishing/
The Service-Oriented Enterprise: Learn Enterprise
Architecture and Its Viable Services 1st Edition Tom
Graves
https://ebookmass.com/product/the-service-oriented-enterprise-
learn-enterprise-architecture-and-its-viable-services-1st-
edition-tom-graves/
https://ebookmass.com/product/mapping-the-enterprise-modeling-
the-enterprise-as-services-with-enterprise-canvas-tom-graves/
https://ebookmass.com/product/everyday-enterprise-architecture-
sense-making-strategy-structures-and-solutions-1st-edition-tom-
graves-2/
https://ebookmass.com/product/everyday-enterprise-architecture-
sense-making-strategy-structures-and-solutions-1st-edition-tom-
graves/
https://ebookmass.com/product/mapping-the-enterprise-modeling-
the-enterprise-as-services-with-enterprise-canvas-1-converted-
edition-tom-graves/
Getting Started
with Enterprise
Architecture
A Practical and Pragmatic
Approach to Learning
the Basics of Enterprise
Architecture
Eric Jager
Foreword by Whynde Kuehn
Getting Started with Enterprise Architecture: A Practical and Pragmatic
Approach to Learning the Basics of Enterprise Architecture
Eric Jager
Almere, Flevoland, The Netherlands
Acknowledgments�������������������������������������������������������������������������������xi
Foreword�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������xiii
Chapter 1: Introduction������������������������������������������������������������������������1
Chapter 2: Architecture Origin��������������������������������������������������������������5
2.1. Timeline���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������5
2.2. Zachman Framework�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������9
2.3. The Open Group Architecture Framework (TOGAF)��������������������������������������11
2.3.1. Fundamental Content��������������������������������������������������������������������������13
2.3.2. Series Guides��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������19
2.4. Similarities and Differences�������������������������������������������������������������������������20
2.5. Summary�����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������21
iv
Table of Contents
8.4. Execute������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������201
8.4.1. Strategy���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������202
8.4.2. Roadmap�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������210
8.5. Control�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������218
8.5.1. Measure Progress�����������������������������������������������������������������������������219
8.6. Summary���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������228
References����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������263
Index�������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������267
v
About the Author
Eric Jager is a Certified Master Architect in
the field of Enterprise Architecture. He is also
a certified TOGAF Enterprise Architecture
Practitioner, Certified Business Architect, and
ArchiMate Practitioner. He is familiar with
various architecture methodologies including,
for example, the TOGAF Standard and the
Zachman Framework.
The inspiration for this book came from Eric’s work experience
in organizations with regulatory functions in both the financial and
healthcare industries, commercial service providers, and several hospitals.
There, he noticed that organizations continued to struggle with properly
implementing architectural thinking and working with architecture.
Eric set out to create an easy-to-understand and easy-to-implement
architecture methodology. Using a self-created Enterprise Architecture
Implementation Wheel, he developed an approach to implementing
Enterprise Architecture that can be used by both novice and experienced
architects.
Eric has been practicing Enterprise Architecture for over 15 years
and has extensive knowledge and experience in the development and
application of Enterprise Architecture. He easily leverages architecture to
translate business strategy into implementation. Eric likes to focus on the
practical and pragmatic application of Enterprise Architecture and lectures
on Enterprise Architecture at the Eindhoven University of Technology. He
also writes about his daily experiences in his blog: eawheel.com/blog.
vii
About the Reviewer
Rob Malschaert is an experienced Enterprise
Architect, primarily working in the healthcare
sector as an independent Enterprise Architect.
Rob is certified in TOGAF and ArchiMate
and is also a Certified Information Systems
Security Professional (CISSP).
Rob has extensive experience in the
practical application of Enterprise Architecture
in complex organizations, especially
in integrating working under architecture in organizations that are
inexperienced in using architecture as a tool to achieve organizational
objectives. Additionally, Rob actively contributes to the development
of the Dutch Hospital Reference Architecture (ZiRA) and provides
postgraduate-level education on Enterprise Architecture at the Eindhoven
University of Technology.
ix
Acknowledgments
First and foremost, I would like to thank my current and former
employers for providing me with invaluable work environments and
lecture opportunities that inspired me to write this book. The variety of
situations there allowed me to envision and create an adapted architecture
methodology that is illustrated in this book.
Special thanks go to Rob Malschaert, a former colleague of mine and
my current partner in lecturing in the field of architecture at the Eindhoven
University of Technology, for agreeing to be the reviewer for this book.
His keen insight and attention to detail were essential in ensuring that the
material is presented clearly.
I am also grateful for the support and advice of Whynde Kuehn, author
of Strategy to Reality. Whynde also took the trouble to write the foreword
for this book.
My thanks also go to the staff at Apress Media, who guided a first-
time author through the writing and editing process with good-natured
professionalism.
I would also like to thank Aditee Mirashi (Acquisitions Editor) for
accepting my manuscript submission and going out of her way to answer
all of my numerous questions prior to the publishing process.
Finally, I would like to thank my wife, Nienke, whose trust and support
made this book possible.
xi
Foreword
Is there anything more powerful than an idea? An idea is the kernel of all
possibilities, with unlimited potential to change the world. Indeed, ideas
have shaped all of our human history.
We are all familiar with the philosophical thought experiment: If a tree
falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound? Here’s
another one: If an organization formulates the most brilliant strategy for
competitive advantage but it never gets implemented, does it matter? Or
even: If we develop the most brilliant framework to help organizations work
more effectively but if they don’t know how to apply it in practice, does it
make an impact?
What is more powerful than an idea then is an idea that is executed.
That is what this book is all about.
To survive and thrive, organizations must do change well in a world
of increasing disruption and uncertainty. This applies to organizations
of every size, industry, and sector – from Fortune Global 500 companies
and governments to startups and non-profit organizations. Surprisingly
though, organizations around the world continually struggle to execute
strategies and business change in an effective, coordinated way at pace,
and the statistics and stories abound that reflect this.
This is where Enterprise Architecture comes in.
After giving a pertinent and insightful history of Enterprise
Architecture, Eric brings us to where the discipline has evolved today. As
he states, “Enterprise Architecture has evolved from a primarily IT-focused
discipline to a strategic and business-centric practice.” We’ve come a long
way, and the holistic view of Enterprise Architecture has never been more
important than it is today.
xiii
Foreword
xiv
Foreword
way with an extensive set of examples and blueprints. He even tells stories
along the way to entertain and educate.
Implementing Enterprise Architecture is a continual journey for every
organization. The architecture itself is ever evolving and expanding with
the business, but as the discipline is leveraged, it also shifts mindsets.
Enterprise Architecture facilitates new ways of thinking and working
around how organizations provide value, deliver strategic change, make
decisions for the enterprise, and design for today and a future-ready
tomorrow. Architecture and architectural thinking are beneficial for
everyone, not just architects.
With some courage, patience, skill, and an expert guide to keep you on
solid footing, a rewarding journey lies ahead. Whether you are experienced
in Enterprise Architecture or new to the discipline, your next step to
greater meaning and impact for your organization or career is contained
here in these pages. Open your mind to all that Enterprise Architecture
has become and can be as a strategic discipline critical to helping our
organizations and societies meet their challenges and opportunities ahead
with success.
All the best to you on the journey!
Whynde Kuehn
Author of Strategy to Reality
Founder and Managing Director
S2E Transformation Inc.
xv
CHAPTER 1
Introduction
I have been practicing Enterprise Architecture for over 15 years.
During these years I have worked for several organizations. All of these
organizations presented unique situations, each requiring a slightly
different way of working.
The organizations did have one thing in common: architecture
maturity was either non-existent or at a low level. One of the main reasons
for this is probably (because we never really know for sure) the difficulty
an organization has in translating the available theoretical architecture
frameworks into a practical application.
Despite the good intentions of frameworks such as the TOGAF
Standard [1], there still are a lot of organizations that have not yet
been able to translate a framework into something that is usable. If an
organization could easily use the tools provided by a framework, working
with architecture would be more likely to get the attention it needs. An
organization would be able to greatly benefit from the structure and
coherence that a framework has to offer. In spite of the fact that the theory
described in the frameworks has evolved and matured over the years,
organizations have not yet found a way to put it to good use. I believe this
is because theoretical frameworks do not pay enough attention to the
pragmatic translation of their content into a practical application.
In this book, I want to take the reader on a journey I call Getting Started
with Enterprise Architecture. I have tried to take the theory from existing
frameworks and translate it into a practical and pragmatic approach.
2
Chapter 1 Introduction
3
CHAPTER 2
Architecture Origin
This chapter describes the origins of Enterprise Architecture. What created
the need for structure to which Enterprise Architecture proved to be the
answer? A timeline is used to provide insight into the key events that led to
the emergence, evolution, and maturation of architecture. Additionally,
a brief explanation of the structure of the two best-known architecture
frameworks (the Zachman Framework and the TOGAF Standard) is
provided. As part of the TOGAF Standard, this chapter also introduces
the Architecture Development Method. The chapter concludes with the
similarities and differences between the two frameworks.
2.1. Timeline
The origins of Enterprise Architecture can be traced back to the 1960s and
1970s, when large organizations began to recognize the need for formal
methods to manage and align their complex IT systems with business
goals. During this time, there were various efforts to develop system
architectures and information models.
In the 1980s, the term Enterprise Architecture began to gain traction.
The focus was primarily on defining and documenting the structure and
components of an organization’s information systems. This decade saw
the emergence of methodologies such as John Zachman’s Framework for
Enterprise Architecture [2]. Enterprise Architecture emerged as a response
to the increasing complexity of IT environments and business processes.
The 1990s marked a period of increased interest and growth in the field
of Enterprise Architecture. More and more organizations recognized the
importance of aligning IT with business goals. The Open Group introduced
the TOGAF Standard in 1995, providing a comprehensive approach to
Enterprise Architecture.
The early 2000s saw a greater focus on integrating IT and business
strategies, leading to the adoption of Enterprise Architecture as a strategic
management discipline. Enterprise Architecture frameworks and
methodologies, such as the Zachman Framework and the TOGAF Standard,
gained wider acceptance and use. In the mid to late 2000s, Enterprise
Architecture evolved to address the complexities of globalized and networked
enterprises. The focus shifted to a more holistic approach to Enterprise
Architecture, encompassing not only IT systems but also business processes,
people, and organizational structures. This broader perspective was necessary
to adapt to rapidly changing market dynamics and technological innovations.
The evolution of Enterprise Architecture brought a new focus to the
strategic importance of IT within organizations. It provided a way to align
IT infrastructure and business processes with business goals, thereby
increasing the value of IT. Enterprise Architecture also offered a way to
manage and reduce the complexity of IT environments, thereby reducing
the cost and risk of IT projects.
In the 2010s, Enterprise Architecture became increasingly integrated
with other strategic management disciplines, such as business process
management, data management, and cybersecurity. Enterprise
Architecture became an essential tool for guiding digital transformation
initiatives, cloud adoption, and agile development practices.
In recent years, Enterprise Architecture has continued to evolve in
response to the growing importance of digitization, data-driven decision-
making, and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, the
Internet of Things (IoT), and blockchain. Enterprise Architecture is
becoming more adaptive and agile to address the dynamic and rapidly
changing business landscape.
6
Chapter 2 Architecture Origin
7
Chapter 2 Architecture Origin
1987 John Zachman publishes the Zachman Framework (with three columns)
1995 TOGAF (The Open Group Architecture Framework) is released
2001 ArchiMate, a modeling language for Enterprise Architectures, is released
2007 TOGAF 8.1 is released, with enhanced support for SOA and IT management
2009 ArchiMate 1.0 is released
2011 TOGAF 9 is released, with enhanced support for business and IT alignment
8
Chapter 2 Architecture Origin
The BIZBOK Guide is a more limited framework than, for example, the
Zachman Framework or the TOGAF Standard. The BIZBOK Guide focuses
solely on Business Architecture. For this reason, the BIZBOK framework is
not discussed further in this chapter.
2.2. Zachman Framework
The first architecture frameworks appeared in the 1980s and 1990s. The
Zachman Framework, published by John Zachman in 1987, was the first
framework (actually an ontology) that focused on structuring business
processes and IT infrastructure.
Throughout the 1990s, the Zachman Framework became increasingly
popular as an Enterprise Architecture methodology. The framework
was used by many organizations, including large corporations and
government agencies. During this time, the framework underwent several
modifications to better meet the needs of organizations.
Shortly after the year 2000, the Zachman Framework was further
developed, extended, and adapted to the changing needs of organizations.
More attention was paid to the relationship between Enterprise
Architecture and digital transformation, and new tools and techniques
were developed to support Enterprise Architecture modeling. There have
also been several discussions held about the applicability and practical
value of the Zachman Framework and its role in an ever-changing IT
environment [4].
The Zachman Framework provides a structured approach to
understanding and managing organizational complexity through a matrix
model. The framework defines a set of perspectives or viewpoints from
different stakeholders and focuses on six fundamental questions: what,
how, where, who, when, and why. Since 2001, these questions have been
presented in a six-by-six matrix, with each column representing one of
the perspectives and each row representing one of the questions (see
Figure 2-1).
9
Chapter 2 Architecture Origin
10
Chapter 2 Architecture Origin
11
Chapter 2 Architecture Origin
12
Chapter 2 Architecture Origin
2.3.1. Fundamental Content
The Fundamental Content consists of six documents: Core Concepts,
Architecture Development Method (ADM), ADM Techniques, Applying
the ADM, Architecture Content and Enterprise Architecture Capability
(Figure 2-3).
13
Chapter 2 Architecture Origin
14
Chapter 2 Architecture Origin
a set of common systems, services, and standards that form the basis
for an organization’s specific architectures, while the latter represents
industry reference models and standards that can be used as a basis for an
organization’s architecture development.
The Fundamental Content is further complemented by reference
models and the Architecture Capability Framework. Reference models
are pre-defined models that provide generic solutions to common
architectural problems, whereas the Architecture Capability Framework
outlines the organizational structure, roles, and processes needed to
establish and operate an effective enterprise architecture capability within
an organization.
Finally, a section that provides additional guidelines, techniques,
and reference materials to support the effective use of the framework is
called the TOGAF Resource Base. It provides guidance on how to tailor the
TOGAF Standard to an organization’s specific needs and requirements.
Overall, the Fundamental Content of the TOGAF Standard serves as a
comprehensive guide and toolbox for organizations to develop, manage,
and evolve their Enterprise Architecture, promote alignment between IT
and business strategies, and foster efficient and effective IT systems.
15
Chapter 2 Architecture Origin
16
Chapter 2 Architecture Origin
17
Chapter 2 Architecture Origin
18
Chapter 2 Architecture Origin
2.3.2. Series Guides
The TOGAF Series Guides were developed in response to the need for
more and better guidance on how to develop a more useful Enterprise
Architecture. Stakeholders want useful Enterprise Architecture guidance
to support their decisions and guide the implementation of necessary
organizational changes.
The TOGAF Series Guides cover a range of topics, from general
guidance on how to set up an Enterprise Architecture team, to domain-
specific material for Business and Security Architecture, to using Agile
methods and Agile software development. An approach to developing
Enterprise Architecture following the Architecture Development Method
provides guidance on using the framework to develop, maintain, and use
an Enterprise Architecture. It is a companion to the Fundamental Content
and brings the concepts and generic constructs to life. Other guides
offer insights into using the TOGAF Standard in the digital enterprise,
emphasizing how to establish and enhance an Enterprise Architecture
capability that is aligned with the organization and what the Enterprise
Architecture team is expected to support.
19
Chapter 2 Architecture Origin
20
Chapter 2 Architecture Origin
2.5. Summary
Chapter 2 described the origins of Enterprise Architecture.
21
CHAPTER 3
Architecture Definition
In Chapter 3, the definition of architecture is given. We learn that there
are several definitions and that each interpretation of the field has a
different point of view. The various definitions are all correct in themselves,
even though they differ slightly from each other. Giving an unambiguous
definition of architecture turns out to be not so easy.
The Open Group’s framework has added the following to the above
definition, which it says depends on the context.
24
Chapter 3 Architecture Definition
25
Chapter 3 Architecture Definition
3.2. Summary
Chapter 3 discussed the definition of architecture that was given.
26
CHAPTER 4
Architecture Domains
The present chapter discusses and explains the existence of and difference
between architecture layers and domains. The importance of information
concepts is discussed as the main factor for the introduction of an additional
architecture domain: Information Architecture.
28
Chapter 4 Architecture Domains
29
Chapter 4 Architecture Domains
30
Chapter 4 Architecture Domains
This book uses and expands upon the three architecture domains of
the TOGAF Standard. First, there is the Business Architecture domain.
Second, the Information Systems Architectures domain is divided into an
information part and a data/application part, creating the Information
Architecture and the Application Architecture domains. Third, the
Technology Architecture domain closes the ranks. This results in a four-
domain Enterprise Architecture model (Figure 4-3).
32
Chapter 4 Architecture Domains
4.4. Summary
Chapter 4 discussed the existence of and difference between architectural
layers and domains.
33
CHAPTER 5
Architecture Roles
This next chapter examines the growth of the profession and the relationship
of that growth to the emergence of the motley collection of architecture roles
and functions. The function of the Enterprise Architect is described in more
detail, and the similarities between this function and that of the Business
Architect are noted. Other architecture roles and functions are briefly
reviewed to give an idea of the variety that has emerged over the years.
36
Another random document with
no related content on Scribd:
from its mountain home, was probably the search after water, the
weather being very dry.
The relation which the development of the power of flight or of
walking, bears to the colour of the flesh, is well shown by a
comparison of this species with the Bald-pate or Blue Pigeon. The
flesh of the tree dove is dark red; that of the Mountain Witch is whiter
than a chicken’s: the former the more juicy, the latter tender, but dry;
both are delicious in flavour.
Various seeds and nuts I have found in the gizzards of many that I
have examined, some hard and stony; others farinaceous, and
comminuted. The seed of the lance-wood is said to afford it food.
The Mountain Witch is generally spoken of as rare, in the island;
but I suspect the remoteness and difficulty of access of its recluse
solitudes, have contributed to this opinion. Robinson gives
Clarendon as one of its localities: he says it is the most beautiful
pigeon in Jamaica. I should be inclined to say “the most beautiful
bird,” if we except the Long-tailed Humming-bird.
I had been assured by intelligent men, very familiar with these
birds, that the Mountain Witch lays in March, in the angle of the roots
of a tree, on the ground; that the young leave the nest about a week
after they are hatched, and are led about by the mother, who
scratches for them in the manner of a fowl. Some have declared that
they have been eye-witnesses of this; persons who have never
heard that this pigeon has any systematic affinity to the Gallinaceæ. I
made many inquiries and found the statement very general, almost
universal. A female shot in March had an egg in the oviduct, shelled
and perfectly ready for exclusion; it was of a dull reddish-white,
unspotted; and measured 1¼ inch by ⁷⁄₈.
Of many which were procured for me in May, nearly every one
was of the male sex; and they were shot from trees; on inquiry into
this anomaly, I was told that during incubation the male invariably
lodges in a neighbouring tree; a singular deviation from its ordinary
habits.
There is no appreciable difference between the sexes, except that
the male has the vent, under tail-coverts, and thighs of a deeper
chestnut, and empurpled. The red of the quills is also brighter.
PARTRIDGE DOVE.[93]
Mountain Partridge.
Geotrygon montana.
Columba montana, Linn.
Columba Martinica, Temm. Pig. 5, 6.
? Peristera cuprea, Wagl.
[93] Length 9½ inches, expanse 17½, flexure 6, tail 3⁴⁄₁₀, rictus 1, tarsus
1¼, middle toe 1¹⁄₁₀. Irides golden yellow; feet flesh-colour, front of tarsi
bright red; beak reddish horn-colour, base dark-red; naked skin of face
blue, red in the centre; edge of eyelids scarlet.
Male. Upper parts bright chestnut, more or less flushed with a purple
iridescence, chiefly on neck and back. Breast pale purplish-brown,
softened to white on throat and chin; a band of deep chestnut runs
forward from the ear to the throat. Belly and under tail-coverts, buff-white.
Female. Upper parts dark olive, glossed; a few (sometimes nearly all)
of the feathers tipped with bay; head rather browner. Wing-quills blackish:
tail blackish, outmost feather tipped with white, a broad spot of chestnut
on the inner web. Throat whitish; breast and sides dusky; under parts
reddish-white.
Order.—GALLINÆ. (Poultry.)
Fam.—PHASIANIDÆ. (The Pheasants.)
GUINEA-FOWL.[94]
Numida meleagris.—Linn.
[94] Length 21¼ inches, expanse 31½, flexure 10½, tail 5½, rictus 1½,
tarsus 3½, middle toe 2⁴⁄₁₀. Irides hazel; feet black.
Ortyx Virginiana.
Tetrao Virginianus, Linn.—Aud. pl. 76.
Ortyx Virginiana, Steph.
[95] Length 9¼ inches, expanse 14¼, flexure 4½, tail 2⁴⁄₁₀, rictus ⁷⁄₁₀,
tarsus 1½, middle toe 1⁴⁄₁₀.
Order.—GRALLÆ. (Waders.)
Fam.—CHARADRIADÆ. (The Plovers.)
SHORT-BILLED PLOVER.[96]
Ægialites melodus.
Charadrius hiaticula, Wils.—Aud. pl. 220.
Charadrius melodus, Ord.
[96] Length 7 inches, expanse 14½, flexure 4⁵⁄₈, tail 2³⁄₁₀, rictus ⁵⁄₁₀,
tarsus 1, middle toe 1⁷⁄₂₀. Intestine 14 inches: two cæca, 1 inch long.
KILDEER PLOVER.[97]
Tilderee.—Tell-tale.
Ægialites vociferus.
Charadrius vociferus, Linn.—Aud. pl. 225.
Ægialites vociferus, Boie.
[97] Length 9½ inches, expanse 18, flexure 5½, tail 3³⁄₁₀, rictus ⁸⁄₁₀,
tarsus 1⁶⁄₁₀, middle toe ¹⁹⁄₂₀.
Egretta nivea.—Mihi.
[98] Length 21½ inches, expanse 35½, flexure 9¾, tail 3½, rictus 3¾,
tarsus 4, middle toe 2⁸⁄₁₀. Irides pale straw-yellow; feet, cheeks and
orbits, pale pea-green; beak bluish-grey, tip black, gonys white. Plumage
snow-white; tips of the first six primaries dashed with pale grey.
BLACK-LEGGED GAULIN.[99]
Snowy Heron.—Wils.
Egretta candidissima.
Ardea candidissima, Gmel.—Aud. pl. 242.
Egretta candidissima, Bonap.
[99] Length 22 inches, expanse 34½, flexure 9¹⁄₁₀, tail 3¹⁄₁₀, rictus 3⁹⁄₁₀,
tarsus 4, middle toe 2⁶⁄₁₀. (A female.)
This is much more rare than the preceding species; but two
specimens having fallen under my observation, both of which
occurred in the middle of the winter. It is probably a migrant from the
continent; the preceding, however, is a permanent resident with us.
From the rarity of its occurrence, I can add nothing to Wilson’s
account of this species; except that in the stomach of one I found
twenty-nine small silvery fishes, a species of Smaris.
BLUE GAULIN.[100]
Blue Crane, or Heron.—Wils.
Egretta cœrulea.
Ardea cœrulea, Linn.—Aud. pl. 307.
Ardea cœrulescens, Lath.
Egretta cœrulea, Bonap.
[100] Length 22 inches, expanse 37, flexure 11, tail 3⁸⁄₁₀, rictus 3⁷⁄₁₀,
tarsus 4, middle toe 2⁸⁄₁₀. One cæcum, rudimentary, 2½ inches from
cloaca.
The slender contour of this bird, its arching purple neck, its
filamentous crown-plumes, and the long pointed scapulars arching
down over its back, combine with its graceful motions and delicate
hue, to give this bird an aspect of peculiar elegance. Less suspicious
than most of its tribe, it will frequently allow the beholder to stand
and admire it, without alarm, as it stands in some shallow stream, or
secluded pool, intent on its occupation, while the glassy surface
gives back its beautiful form, unbroken. Its motions are deliberate
and slow while watching for prey; yet its seizure of prey is sudden,
and as quick as the lightning-flash. It feeds principally on small crabs
and prawns; which I have always found changed in appearance, by
the process of digestion; the shell reddened and the flesh
coagulated, as if by boiling. In one I have found a number of minute
eel-like fishes, about an inch and a quarter long, probably the fry of a
muræna; in another, insects. It is usually found excessively fat.
A specimen, shot from a tree, fell into rather deep water; and
though one foot was disabled, it struck out vigorously with the other,
and swam in an upright posture, with the head drawn back (not
struggling,) several yards, before it was seized.
It is not common enough for me to determine whether it is
migratory or not; I have obtained specimens on the 16th of
September and on the 9th of April, and through the intervening
winter.
RED-NECKED GAULIN.[101]
Egretta ruficollis.—Mihi.
[101] Length 25½ inches, expanse 36½, flexure 9¾, neck 10, tail 2½,
rictus 4½, tarsus 4, middle toe 3¼.
Irides cream-white; lores deep fulvous, with an oblong dusky spot near
the edge of upper mandible; beak, black above, clay-colour beneath; feet
dull pea-green. Crown, cheeks, and neck pale brick-red, mingled with
dark grey feathers. Back ashy-grey, with pale reddish tips; scapulars and
quills blue-grey; coverts grey with red tips, almost wholly red towards the
edge of the wing. Rump and tail-coverts white. Tail dark grey. Chin,
throat, and whole under parts yellowish-white, but down the front of neck
an irregular series of rufous feathers, forming dashes on the white; and a
few blackish feathers on the breast.
GREEN BITTERN.[102]
Crab-catcher.
Herodias virescens.
Ardea virescens, Linn.—Aud. pl. 333.
Herodias virescens, Bonap.
[102] Length 18 inches, expanse 25½, flexure 7¼, tail 2⁷⁄₁₀, rictus 3,
tarsus 2²⁄₁₀, middle toe 1⁸⁄₁₀. Intestine 44½ inches, very slender.
Ardeola exilis.
Ardea exilis, Gmel.—Aud. pl. 210.
Ardeola exilis, Bonap.
[103] Length 13¼ inches, expanse 16¼, flexure 4½, tail 1½, rictus 2¼,
neck 6, tarsus 1⁶⁄₁₀, middle toe 1¾. Intestine 41, body 2½.
QUOK.[104]
Night-heron or Qua-bird.—Wils.
Nycticorax Americanus.
Ardea nycticorax, Linn.—Aud. pl. 236.
? Ardea violacea (immature), Ibid.
Nycticorax Americanus, Steph.
[104] Length 24 inches, expanse 41½, flexure 12, tail 4¾, rictus 3⁵⁄₈,
tarsus 4¼, middle toe 2¾. A male, immature; occipital plumes 3½ inches
long. I have not seen the adult.