366. 2. Ardea violacea, Linn. Yellow-crowned Night Heron.
Plate CCCXXXVI. Male and Young.
Male with the feathers on the upper part of the head lanceolate and acuminate, those on the occiput very long and linear; between the scapulæ two longitudinal series of very elongated feathers with loose margins, the longest extending far beyond the tail; occipital and dorsal plumes not present in winter; head and throat greenish-black, crown and band on each side below the eye white, the former tinged with reddish-yellow; general colours light greyish-blue; the feathers of the fore part of the back and wings with their central parts bluish-black, margined with bluish-white; quills and tail dark greyish-blue; edge of wings white. Female similar. Young in its first plumage dark greyish-white, beneath dull yellowish-white, streaked with dark brown.
Adult, 231/2, 431/2. Young in October 231/2, 40.
A few spend the winter in Florida. Migrates in spring as far as New Jersey, up the Mississippi to Natchez. Never goes far inland. Not very abundant. Migratory.
Yellow-crowned Heron, Ardea violacea, Wils. Amer. Orn. v. viii. p. 26.
Ardea violacea, Bonap. Syn. p. 306.
White-crowned Heron, Nutt. Man. v. ii. p. 52.
Yellow-crowned Heron, Ardea violacea, Aud. Orn. Biog. v. iv. p. 290.
** Bitterns. Bill considerably longer than the head, stout, tapering, compressed, with the upper outline slightly curved; legs of moderate length, bare part of tibia short; neck thick; body exceedingly compressed; feathers of the neck elongated and curved backwards. Trachea and bronchi wider.
367. 3. Ardea lentiginosa, Swains. American Bittern.
Plate CCCXXXVII. Male and Female.