292 YELLOW-CROWNED HERON. 
on low bushes, but seldom so close together as those of many other 
Herons. On the Florida Keys, where I have examined more of these 
tenements than in any other part, I found them either on the tops of 
mangroves, which there seldom attain a greater height than twenty- 
five feet, or on their lowest branches, and not more than two or three 
feet from the water. In the Carolinas, they usually resort to swamps, 
nestling on the bushes along their margins. The nest is similar to that 
of other Herons, being formed of dry sticks loosely put together, a few 
weeds, with at times a scanty lining of fibrous roots. ‘The eggs are 
generally three, never, in as far as I have seen, more, of a pale blue 
colour, inclining to green, thin-shelled, and averaging two inches in 
length by an inch and three and a half eighths in their greatest breadth. 
The young seldom remain in the nest until able to fly, as is the case 
with those of some other species, but usually leave it to follow their pa- 
rents along the shores. If scared from the nest, they scramble along 
the branches with considerable agility, and hide whenever an opportu- 
nity occurs. I have given the figure of a young bird procured in Oc- 
tober. 
The differences between the periods at which this bird breeds in 
different latitudes, correspond with those observed with respect to 
other species of the same tribe. Thus, eggs and young. may be pro- 
cured on the Florida Keys six weeks sooner than in South Carolina, 
although two broods are usually raised in both districts, the birds fre- 
quently removing from one place to another for the purpose. The 
beautiful slender plumes on the head and back generally fall off soon 
after incubation commences, although I have on a few occasions found 
the male still bearing these ornaments when the female was sitting on 
her second set of eggs. When the young are just able to fly I have 
found them good eating, but the old birds I never relished. 
When wounded, the Yellow-crowned Heron defends itself vigo- 
rously with its claws, the scratches inflicted by which are severe, and 
also strikes with the bill. If not brought to the ground, in a place 
where the trees are close and thickly branched, it is difficult to obtain 
them without a second shot, for they scamper quickly from one twig to 
another, and are very soon out of reach. 
Winsor complains that the name ‘* Yellow-crowned” should be 
given to this species, and this would almost induce me to suppose that 
he had never seen one in the breeding season, when the white of the 
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