SPECIES II. ARDEA VIOLACEA. 



YELLOW-CROWNED HERON. 



[Plate LXV. Fig. 1.] 



LINN. Syst. i, p. 238. 16. LATH. Syn.m,p. 80. Le Crabier de 

 Bahama, BRISS. v, p. 481. 41. Crested Bittern, CATESB. i, pi. 

 79. Le Crabier gris defer, BUFF, vn, p. 399. -Jlrct. Zool. JVo. 



352. PEALE'S Museum, JVb. 3738> 



THIS is one of the nocturnal species of the Heron tribe, whose 

 manners, place and mode of building its nest, resemble greatly 

 those of the common Night Heron (Jlrdea nycticorax;} the 

 form of its bill is also similar. The very imperfect figure and 

 description of this species by Catesby, seems to have led the 

 greater part of European ornithologists astray, who appear to 

 have copied their accounts from that erroneous source, 'otherwise 

 it is difficult to conceive why they should either have given it 

 the name of yellow-crowned, or have described it as being only 

 fifteen inches in length; since the crown of the perfect bird is 

 pure white, and the whole length very near two feet. The name 

 however, erroneous as it is, has been retained in the present 

 account, for the purpose of more particularly pointing out its 

 absurdity, and designating the species. 



This bird inhabits the lower parts of South Carolina, Georgia, 

 and Louisiana in the summer season; reposing during the day 

 among low swampy woods, and feeding only in the night. It 



* We add the following synonymes. Jlrdeaviolacea, LATH. Ind. Orn. p. 690, 

 JVo. 60. Mca Cayanensis, Id. p. 680, A*o. 17. Gen. Syn. HI, p. 80. Ao. 46. 

 Cayenne Night Heron, Id. p. 56, No, 16. Bihoreau de Cayenne, PI, Enl. 899. 

 Ardta violacea, GMEL. Syst, i. p. 631, ^V*o. 16. Ardea Cayenemis, Id. p. 626, 

 JVo. 31. 





