HERONS 83 



frequently may be seen winging their way slowly to their feed- 

 ing grounds, uttering as they fly a hoarse, guttural kwah or 

 kwok. They feed on the banks of creeks, bayous, or ponds or 

 on wet meadows or salt marshes, and, according to Audubon, 

 are constantly moving about in search of food, walking in a 

 stooping posture with the neck retracted. 



Food habits. — The night heron feeds principally on fish, but 

 is reported to capture also shrimps, crabs, frogs, tadpoles, 

 lizards, mice, and grasshoppers and other insects. The stom- 

 ach of one taken on Petit Bois Island contained remains of 

 6 minnows (Fundulus sp.) and 5 gizzard shad (Dorosoma 

 cepedianum). 



YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERON; GROSBEC: 



Nyctanassa violaeea (Linnaeus) . 



State records. — The yellow-crowned night heron, known as 

 the "grosbec" in the South, is a locally common summer resi- 

 dent in the southern half of the State. At Greensboro Dr. 

 Avery records it "not common," specimens having been taken 

 there July 1, 1879, and August 12, 1889, At Leighton it has 

 been taken but once (McCormack, about -March 20, 1902). 

 Gutsell reported the species plentiful in July and August at 

 Bayou Labatre and on Dauphin Island. Two young birds 

 were collected at the latter place, July 5 and 27, 1913. Peters 

 saw a few on Petit Bois Island, June 3, 1914. In Catoma 

 Swamp, near Teasley Mill, I saw four birds on March 30, 

 1914, and a few at the same place in May. One was seen on 

 Uchee Creek, near Seale, May 20, 1914, and they were com- 

 mon at Stiggins Lake, May 27. 



In the secluded bayous bordering Chuckvee Bay, above Mo- 

 bile, May 12, 1911, I discovered five nests on low limbs over- 

 hanging the water. The nests were shallow, flat platforms of 

 small sticks, and each contained either 4 partly incubated 

 eggs or 4 young just hatched. Golsan records the species as a 

 common summer resident in Autauga County and describes 

 a rookery of 25 or more nests. Eggs were found by him on 

 April 12, 1908, April 23, 1911, and May 8, 1909.* 



♦Golsan and Holt, The Auk, vol. 31, p. 217, 1914. 



