32 Contributions from the Charleston Museum. 



73. Nycticorax nycticorax naevius (Bodd.). Black-crowned 



Night Heron. 



I quote Dr. Bachman's experience with this bird, from Audu- 

 bon's Birds of America: ' 



My friend John Bachman is acquainted with a place on Ashley River, about 

 four miles distant from Charleston, where, among the branches of a cluster of 

 live-oak trees, he has for the last fifteen years found a flock of about fifty of these 

 birds during the winter. They were all young, not a single individual having been 

 observed in the adult plumage, which is the more remarkable, because it is usual 

 for young birds to retreat farther south during winter than the old. It is very 

 common at this period for the sportsmen near Charleston to take their stand along 

 the margins of the salt water ponds, to which the Herons generally resort about 

 dusk; and they frequently obtain several shots in an evening, but not a single 

 old bird is known to have been killed at this season. 



During the past twenty-five years, I have never observed an 

 adult of this species in winter on any part of the coast, while the 

 young winter numerously in sheltered ponds on the coast islands. 

 While at Capers' Island, on February 6, 1905, I saw in a large 

 pond of brackish water, all congregated together, and seemingly 

 in perfect harmony, Great Blue, Louisiana, Little Blue, Green, 

 and young Black-crowned Night Herons. 



The adults arrive during the second week in March, and nest- 

 building begins late in April, but some birds do not commence 

 building until after the middle of May. This species breeds 

 in the freshwater reservoirs and also in islands in the salt marshes. 

 I have never seen it breeding in large colonies. 



The eggs, which usually number four, are of a pale bluish green 

 color, and measure 2.00X1.40. My earliest breeding record is 

 April 25, 1908, when I took four eggs. 



The local name of this species on the coast is "Indian Pul- 

 let," but in the interior it is known as the "Qua-Bird." 



74. Nyctanassa violacea (Linn.). Yellow-crowned Night 

 Heron. 



The Yellow-crowned Heron is a locally abundant summer res- 

 ident on the coast, being entirely absent in some localities, while 

 abundant in others during the breeding season. My earliest 

 spring record is March 24, 1891, and the birds remain until about 

 October 16. None winter, however, as this species is very sus- 

 ceptible to frost. 



These herons breed only in small colonies of two or three 

 pairs, generally in cypress swamps where they obtain crayfish 



' VI, 82. 



