HERON. 107 



they feed on small fish, frogs, and crabs. One of the customs of 

 this bird is to sit with the head drawn in between the shoulders, for 

 a long time together, on a branch of a tree hanging over the water ; 

 from whence, it has the chance of darting on a fish, in the same 

 manner as the Belted Kingsfisher ; which, as well as this Heron, is 

 called Crab-catcher in Jamaica. 



These frequent the ponds, lakes, &c. about Savanna, in Georgia, 

 and build in the bushes in the small Islands therein, making the 

 nest of sticks, and lay green eggs like those of the Blue Heron, but 

 smaller. Mr. Abbot observes, that the top of the head is blue, and 

 all the wing feathers green, margined with pale buff; legs yellow. 



A. — Le Crabier a tete et queue vertes, Buf. vii. 408. PI. enl. 908. Gen. Syn. v. 

 p. 69. 30. Var. A. 



SIZE of the last. Bill black ; head crested, gilded darkish 

 green; plumage in general pale slate-colour ; fore part of the neck 

 white, marked with longitudinal, ferruginous streaks ; chin white ; 

 wing coverts blackish green, margined with rufous ; tail short, of 

 the same colour as the crest ; legs yellow. 



Inhabits Cayenne; a Variety of the last, or differing in sex. 



B. — Ardea fusca, Klein, 124. 



Ardea stellaris minor, Rail, 189. 4. Sloan. Jam. 315. pi. 236. f. 2. 



Botaurus Americanus naevius, Bris. v. 464. Id. 8vo. ii. 332. 



L'Etoile, Buf. vii. 428. 



Crab-catcher, Brown, Jam. 478. Bartr. Trav. 291. 



Brown Bittern, Cat. Car. i. pi. 78. Gen. Syn. v. 70. 



Length- twenty inches. Bill greenish black, beneath pale green; 

 lore naked, and the same ; irides gold-colour; plumage in general 

 brown, paler beneath ; wings spotted with white ; tail bluish ash- 

 colour; legs greenish yellow. 



P 2 



