YELLOW-CROWNED HERON. 



443 



those of the common night heron (Ardea nycticorax) ; the 

 form of its bill is also similar. The very imperfect figure and 

 description of this species by Catesby seem to have led the 

 greater part of European ornithologists astray, who appear to 

 have copied their accounts from that erroneous source, other- 

 wise it is difficult to conceive why they should either have 

 given it the name of yellow-crowned, or have described it as 

 being only fifteen inches in length, since the crown of the 

 perfect bird is pure white, and the whole length very near two 

 feet. The name, however, erroneous as it is, has been retained 

 in the present account, for the purpose of more particularly 

 pointing out its absurdity, and designating the species. 



This bird inhabits the lower parts of South Carolina, 

 Georgia, and Louisiana in the summer season ; reposing 

 during the day among low, swampy woods, and feeding only 

 in the night. It builds in societies, making its nest with 

 sticks among the branches of low trees, and lays four pale 

 blue eggs. This species is not numerous in Carolina, which, 

 with its solitary mode of life, makes this bird but little known 

 there. It abounds on the Bahama Islands, where it also breeds ; 

 and great numbers of the young, as we are told, are yearly 

 taken for the table, being accounted in that quarter excellent 

 eating. This bird also extends its migrations into Virginia, 

 and even farther north ; one of them having been shot a few 

 years ago on the borders of Schuylkill, below Philadelphia. 



The food of this species consists of small fish, crabs, and 

 lizards, particularly the former ; it also appears to have a 

 strong attachment to the neighbourhood of the ocean. 



The yellow-crowned heron is twenty-two inches in length, 

 from the point of the bill to the end of the tail ; the long 

 flowing plumes of the back extend four inches farther ; 

 breadth, from tip to tip of the expanded wings, thirty-four 



the crest and long dorsal plumes of the egrets. As far as we at present 

 see, it will form the passage from the last-mentioned form to the night 

 herons, which will again reach the bitterns by those confused under the 

 name of tiger bitterns. — Ed. 



