294 YELLOW-CROWNÉB HERON.
very elongated leathers, with loose margins* the longest extending far
beyond the end of the tail. Wings long, of great breadth, rounded ; the
primaries, jroad and rounded, the third, loftgest,-the, second and fourth
nearly equal. the iirst half an inch shorter than the longest, the rest
«lowly graduated,; secondaries very broad, rounded, the inner elongated,
some of theminoarly as long as the suter primaries when the wing is
.closed. Tail short, even, of tw elve broad, rounded feathers.
Bill black. Iris retMish-orango : margins of eyelids and bare space
in front of the eye, dull (jellowish-green. Tibi% upper part of the
tarsus, its hind part, and the solfgj bright yellow ;(the scutella and scales,
the fore part of the tarsus, the 'fctei and the claws, black. Upper part
of the head pale reddish^yellow in front, white behind, of wbich colour
are most of the elongyttpijerosL feathers.^ well as an oblong patch extending
J'rom the corner of the mouth, beneath, to behiud the ear. Thé ,
rest of the head, and ammali portion of the neck all round, bluish-black ;
that ccilour extending nearly .half- way down the neck behind. The
rest of the neck all round, as well ¡is the upper and lower surface of the
boilpis^feht greyish-hlue ; the feathers of the tore part of the back,
and wings, having their central parts bluish-black, which is also the
case with the elongated j||||| feathers; the dark part margined with
bluish-white. Alular, primary coverts, and primary quills, dark bluisligrey
; secondaries and fail-featiu-re'ôf a lighter 'fjiit.
Length to end of tail 23| inches, to end of wings 25, to end of loose
feathers 30, to end.of claws: 39!, to carpal joint 12^: extent of îvings
43s ; liiii along the ridge along the edge of lower mandible :1 ;
width of gape II : depth of bill at base ; wing from flexure 12§ ; bare
part of tibia 2;- ; tarsus 4| ; middle toe 2], its ela.\v \ ; .outer toe 1|, its'
daw j * ; inner toe If, its clawJ* ; hind toe; 1, its claw £ ; tail 5. Weight
The Female resembles; the male, but is somewhat smaller.
The Young in October. Hate CCCXXXVI. Fig. 2.
Bill greenish-black, the lower and basal part of the lower mandible
greenish-yellow, as are the eyelids and bare space before, the eye.
Iris pale -orange. Leg* and feet .dull yellowish-green; the scutella and
scales in front, as »el l as the çlaws, dusky. ; I.'pjier part of head and
hind neck, black, longitudinally marked with somewhat triangular
elongated white spots ; .sides of the head and neck pale dull yellowisli-
YELLOW-CROWNED HERON. 295
brown, streaked with darker; the upper parts light grey tmged with,
brown, the. feathers edged with yellowish-while, ami tipped with a.
triangular spot of the same: the primaries and their coverts wxth the
tail darker, margined with dull S f f l B P^ W M neCk' •
all the lower parts, dull yellowish-grey, each with its central
part dark greyish-brown ; lower :taikic«:ms unspotted.
Length to end oi tail 23fc to end of claws 294 ; extent of wings 40,
Weight 1 lb. 7 oz.
Adult Male from South Carolina.
The upper mandft*Mfeslightly concave, with a median prominent
ridge, the palate convex with two ridges.; the posterior aperture of the
n«<*Unear,with an oblique papillate flap on each side; the lower
«audible deeply cWcave. The«tongue is of-moderate length, measuring
I f inch, umargmat« at the base, trigonal, flat, above, tapormg to a
point. The oesophagus, which fe 12 inches long, gradually diminishes in
diameter from inch to 1 inch. The proventriculus is 1 j inch long,
its ixhuidulcs cylindrical, forming a complete .belt, As largest 3 twelfths
long. The stomachs* roundish, 2 inches in diameter,; compressed; its
muscular coat thin, ami composed of large fasciculi; ite,tendinous spaees
nearly 1 inch in diameter; its inner coat even, soft, and destitute of
' epithelium. There is a small roundish pyloric lobe, 4 twelfths in diameter;
the aperture of the pylorus is extremely small, having a diameter
of only half a twelfth. The intestine is long and very slender, 6
feet 3 inches in length, its diameter at the Upper part 3 twelfths ; diminishing
to 21 twelfths, for about a foot from the extremity enlarged
%5eighths ; the rectum 6.| inches long; the cecum S twelfths long, 14
twelfth in diameter at .ft®, base, tapering to 1 twelfth, the extremity
rounded. The stomach contained fragments of Crustacea.
The trachea is 8J inches long; cylindrical; the rings 154, and ossified,;
its diameter at the top Oj twelfths, diminishing in the space of an
inch and a half to 3 twelfths, and so continuing nearly to the end,
when it contracts to 21 twelfths. The last rings are much extended,
• and divided into two portions, the last transverse half ring arched,, and
5 twelfths in length. The bronchi are in consequence very wide at
the top, gradually taper, and are composed of about 25 half rings.
The contractor mii§elss are very feeble ; the sterao-tracheal slender ;
a pair of inferior laryngeal muscles inserted into the first bronchial
ringi