AKDElDi;— THE HERONS. 136* 



black. Plumaee in general, clear bluish era.7. or cinereous, lighter beneath (the de- 

 gree of blueness probably depending on the age of the bird): all the feathers of the upper 

 surface marked with a median stripe of black; the secondaries and rcctrices dark plumbe- 

 ous, bordered with a lighter shade of the same; primaries plain bluish plumbeous. Bill 

 deep black, the lower basal portion of the mandible, in some specimens, greenish yellow; 

 lores and eyelids greenish yellow; iris pale orange; legs dull yellowish green, the largo 

 scutellii' and the claws dusky.' 



I'onni;. Above, dark sooty grayi.sh brown, sometimes of a slightly olive cast, the 

 feathers of the pileum and wings (in youngest individuals the entire upper surfaceVi 

 marked with median streaks of white or pale buff; these streaks assuming on the wing 

 coverts a narrowly euneate form. Lower parts soiled whitish, striped with brownish gray. 

 "Bill greenish black, the lower and basal part of the lower raandiblo greenish yellow, as ai e 

 the eyelids and bare space before the eye. Iris pale orange. Legs and feet. dull yellowish 

 green, the scutellaand scales in front, as well as the claws, dusky." (Audubon.) Length, 

 about 23.00-25.00: expanse, 40.00~i5.00; weight, 1 lb. 7 oz. to 1 lb. 9 oz. (Auddeon.) Wing, 10.50- 

 12.(»; tail, 4.20-5.10; culmen, 2.50-3.00; depth of bill, .7()-.92; tarsus, 3.10-4.20; middle toe. 2.20- 

 2.55; bare portion of tibia, 1.60-2,40. 



The Yellow-crowned Night Heron occurs during; summer 

 throug'hout at least the southern third of Illinois, though of 

 course only in such localities as are suited to it. These consist 

 of timbered swamps, where the princi])al food of the species, 

 con.sisting of crawfish, frogs, and the smaller reptiles, is to be 

 found in abundance. Ifc first became known to the writer as an 

 Illinois bird through Mr. Samuel Turner, of Mt. Carmel, who 

 obtained specimens of the bird and its eggs in the Coffee Flats, 

 a few miles south .of that place. At Monteur's Pond, about 

 eight miles east of Yincennes, Indiana, the writer found it to be 

 much the most numerous species of heron, far outnumbering all 

 other kinds together, during several visits there, in different 

 years. Many nests were found, but all inaccessible except by 

 special and in most cases extraordinary effort, being built not 

 only high up in the tallest sweet gum and oak trees but far out 

 upon the branches. 



• In an adult female shot from the nest, at Wheatland. Indiana. April 27. 1881, the bill and 

 naked lores were wholly slate-black, the eyelids similar, but tinged with green anteriorly; 

 Iris Mars-orange; legs pale olive-bull, the large scutelKT of tarsus and toes deep brownish. 

 In thi' adult male In spring, according to Audubon, the unfeathered parts are colored as 

 follows: "Bill black. Iris reddi-h-oraiige; margins of eyelids and bare space In front 

 of the eye dull yellowish green, Tibia, upper part of the tarsus. Its hind part and the 

 soles, bright yellow; the scutcllie and scales, the fore part of the tarsus, the toes, and 

 the clawij, block," 



