SPECIES 11. ARDE^ VIOLACEA. 
YELLOW-CROWNED HERON. 
[Plate LX V,— Fig. 1.] 
I.iNN. Syst. I, p. 238 . !6. — Lath. Syn.wi, p . 80 . — Le Crabier de 
Bahama, Briss. v, p. 481 . 41 . — Crested Bittern, Catesb. i, pi , 
79 . — Le Crabier gris defer. Buff, vii, p. 399 . — Jlrct. Zool , JVb. 
352 . — Peale’s Museum, JVb. 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 {Jirdea nycticoraxf) the 
form of its bill is also similar. The very imperfect figure and 
description 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, 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 
* We add the following synonymes. — Jirdea violacea, Lath. Ind. Orn. p. 690, 
JVo- St),— Jirdea Cayanensis, Id. p. 680, JVd. 17 — Gen. Syn. iii, p. 80. JVo. 46. 
— Cayenne JJ'ighl Heron, Id. p. 56,5Vb. 16. — Bilioreau de Cayenne, PI. Enl. 899- 
— Jirdea vxolacea, Gmel. Syet, i. p- 631, .AT). 16. — Jirdea Cayenensis, Id. p. 626, 
JS'o. 31. 
