96 NESTS AND EGGS OF 



and is resident throughout Central America, breeding in all suitable 

 localities'. It is found throughout the greater portion of South 

 America, and has been observed breeding on the Falkland Islands. 

 Throughout the United States, in various sections, large colonies may 

 be found during the breeding season. Hundreds, and even thousands, 

 colonize and form extensive heronries. Mr. M. B. Griffing, of Shelter 

 Island, N. Y., says that in the heronry on Gardiner's Island as many as 

 four nests were found in a single tree, all containing eggs. Tall trees 

 are usually selected for the nesting sites, and they are not always easy 

 of access. The nests are bulky platforms of sticks, considerably hol- 

 lowed. Mr. Rachford says that in the vicinity of Beaumont, Texas, 

 this Heron nests in cypress trees along the banks of streams, and that 

 the breeding season begins about the first of April. The greatest 

 number of eggs found in any nest is four, which is the usual number. 

 In all the sets that Mr. Grifnng and Mr. Worthington had collected for 

 three years there were but four sets containing more than four eggs ; 

 these were three of five and one of six. 



The eggs are pale, bluish-green, varying from elliptical to oval ; 

 sizes from 1.90 to 2.15, by 1.35 to 1.55 broad. In some localities the 

 nest of this Heron is built on the ground in marshes. 



203. Nycticorax violaceus (LINN.) [496.] 



Yellow-crowned Night Heron. 



Hab. Warm-temperate Eastern North America, from the Carolinas and the Lower Ohio Valley 

 south to Brazil; casually north to Massachusetts and west to Colorado. 



The Yellow-crowned Night Heron is a southern species, known to 

 breed on the Atlantic coast as far north as the Carolinas, and in the 

 interior as far north as Southern Indiana, Illinois and Missouri. It is 

 found along the entire Gulf coast of Mexico, throughout the West 

 Indies, Central America and in Northern South America. The bird is 

 very similar to the Black-crowned Night Heron, but is a little smaller. 

 The back and head are furnished with long, elegant, lanceolate plumes. 

 The general color is pale, ashy-blue. Its nest is a slight platform of 

 sticks. In some parts of the Southern States this Heron is said to be 

 quite abundant, while in others it is rarely met with. In portions of 

 Florida it breeds in great numbers, generally in company with other 

 species, forming large heronries, especially in the interior in large 

 cypress swamps. In the southern portion of South Carolina it nests in 

 swamps or in tall trees which are surrounded by water. In various 

 regions of Texas the nest of this Heron is built on the lower branches 

 of a cypress tree, near some stream. Mr. Rachford says he never 

 found more than two or three nests in close proximity to one another, 



