418 YELLOW-CK OWNED NIGHT HERON. 



the bird much, for after the stump had healed, he could eat nearly as well as usual. They 

 would all fish for themselves, and during their nightly rambles, would sometimes fall iu 

 with others of the same species and induce the strangers to return to roost with them, in a. 

 small orchard back of the house, so that quite a company would gather there at times. 

 But upon my approach, they would all rise with loud cries, accompanied by the tame ones 

 who would follow their friends some distance, but after a time, would invariably return to 

 their roosts. These birds remained with me until autumn, when they departed, evidently 

 migrating with their wild companions, and I never saw them again. The Night Herons 

 usually migrate from Massachusetts, early in November, but a few seasons ago, when the 

 weather was unusually mild, they remained in this vicinity all winter. 



NYCTIARDEA VIOLACEA. 



Yellow -crowned Night Heron. 



Nyctiardea violacea Sw., Birds, II; 1837, 354. 



DESCRIPTION. 



SP. CH. Form, robust. Size, rather small. Tongue, long, thin, and gradually tapering toward tip which is point- 

 ed. Back and head, furnished with long, lanceolate plumes. Lower third of tibia, naked. 



COLOR. Adult. Pale asliy-blue throughout, streaked on back with black. Upper half of ncckand head, blue-black, 

 with top of latter, and patch on its side, pale straw-yellow. Iris, orange. Naked space about head, greenish. Leg-;, yel- 

 low. Bill, black. 



Ymtny. Dark greenish-brown above, streaked and spotted with yellowish. Ashy-white beneath streaked with brown. 

 Legs, greenish. 



OBSERVATIONS. 



The adult may be known by the yellow crown, and the young by the small size, short, thick bill, and dark greenish 

 color on back. Distributed, in summer, from the Carolinas, southward. Winters in Southern Florida. Stragglers un; oc- 

 casionally found as far north as Massachusetts. 



DIMENSIONS. 



Average measurements of specimens from Florida. Length, 22'50; stretch, 41'00; wing, 1T50; tail, 4'25; bill, 3'(IO; 

 tarsus, 3'40. Longest specimen, 23'00; greatest extent of wing, 42'00; longest wing, 12 00; tail, 4'50; bill, 3 - 10; t;irsus, 

 3'G5. Shortest specimen, 22'00; smallest extent of wing, 40'00; shortest wing, ll'OO; tail, 4'00; bill, 2-<JO; tarsus, 3'25. 



DESCRIPTION OF NESTS AND EGGS. 



Nests, placed in trees or bushes, composed of sticks loosely arranged. Kyys, from two to fouv in number, varying from 

 elliptical to oval in form, yellowish-green in color, unspotted. Dimensions from T40x T9O to I'50x2'00. 



HABITS. 



The Yellow-crowned Night Herons do not appear to be common birds anywhere, and 

 although they occur sparingly throughout Florida, I found them more numerous at Miami 

 than elsewhere, and obtained their eggs from the Everglades, early in April. This species 

 is not nearly as nocturnal in habit, as the preceding, and although I have seen them fly- 

 ing at night, I have also observed them wading about the roots of the overhanging man- 

 groves, in search of fish, during daylight. When their hunger is appeased, they sit on the 

 low limbs of the trees which project over the water. They are extremely shy birds and 

 are quite difficult to kill, then when slightly wounded, run with great speed among the tan- 

 gled roots of the mangroves, always making for the densest thickets, so that it is quite dif- 

 ficult to procure specimens. The cry of the Yellow-crowned Night Herons is loud but 

 differs from that of the common Night Heron, and they are not as noisy. These birds mi- 

 grate northward, as far as the Carolinas, in summer, and stragglers have even been taken 

 iu Massachusetts. 



