YELLOW-CROWNED HERON. 43 



thirty-five or forty in number, and, as they contained 

 particles of the down of the l>ird, shewed evidently 

 from this circumstance that they act the part of a 

 comb, to rid the bird of vermin in those parts which 

 it cannot reach with its bill. 



207. ARDEA riOLACEA, LINK^US AND WILSON. 

 YELLOW-CROWNED HERON. 

 WILSON, PLATE LXV. FIG. I. 



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, 

 (ardea nycticorax ;) the form of its bill is also similar. 

 The very imperfect figure and description of this 

 species by Catesby seem to have led the greater part 

 of European ornithologists astray, who appear to have 

 copied their accounts from that erroneous source, other- 

 wise 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 builds in societies, making its 

 nest with sticks, among the branches of low trees, and 

 lays four pale blue eggs. This species is not numerous 

 in Carolina, which, with its solitary mode of life, 

 makes this bird but little known there. It abounds on 

 the Bahama Islands, where it also breeds ; and great 

 numbers of the young, as we are told, are yearly taken 

 for the table, being accounted in that quarter excellent 

 eating. This bird also extends its migrations into Vir- 

 ginia, and even farther north j one of them having been 



