26 



YELLOW-CROWNED HERON. 

 ABDEA VIOLACEA. 

 [Plate LXV.— Fig. 1.] 



Linn, SysL I, ]?. 238. 16 — ^Lath. Syn. Ill, p. 80. — Le CraUer de Bahama, Briss. V, p. 481. M.— 

 Crested Bitteim, Catesb. I, pi. 79. — Le CraUer gris defer. Buff. VII, p. 399. — ^rct. Zool. JN*o. 

 352.— Peaxe's Museum^ JVo. 3738. 



THIS is one of the nocturnal species of the Heron tribe whose 

 manners^ place and mode of building its nest, resemble greatly 

 those of the common Night Heron (Ardea nycticorax); the form 

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

 tion of this species by Catesby, seems to have led the greater part 

 of European ornithologists astray, who appear to have copied their 

 accounts from that erroneous source, otherwise it is difficult to 

 conceive why they should either have given it the name of yellow- 

 crowned J OY 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, Geor- 

 gia, 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. The species is not nu- 

 merous 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 



