OF NEW SOUTH WALES. 299 



sides of the head, and extending over the ear-coverts and in a 

 narrow line down the side of the neck, separating the black of 

 the upper from the white of the nnder side, is a stripe of a light 

 glossy orange tint, whch extends in a band of the same color 

 across the chest, margining above the jet black of the breast. The 

 female is about one-fifth larger in size. 



Mr. Shaw informs me that this species was rather plentiful at 

 these lagoons, but, nevertheless, very shy ; and as the water was 

 deep, and abounding in crocodiles, only those which were shot 

 dead near the margin were obtained. They were found walking 

 on the leaves of a species of Nymphea, and in habits closely 

 resemble the Parra gallinacea of New South Wales. 



The young have the crown of the head rufous as in the New 

 South Wales species. 



HERODIONES. 



Family ARDEID^. 



180. — BuTORiODES JAVANiCA, Horsf.; Sharpe, Journ. Linn. Soc. 

 Zool. XIII, p. 320 ; Ramsay, List. Aust. Bds. sp. 628 ; 

 Gould, Handbook Bds. Aust, II, sp. 561. 



A specimen of this bittern was obtained on the Laloki River. 

 It does not differ in any way from the Cape York and Queens- 

 land birds of the same species. It was the only one seen during 

 the expedition, but probably the mangrove fl.ats, where this 

 species loves to dwell, were not closely examined. In New 

 South Wales this species is by no means rare ; they are found 

 breeding in the mangroves on the Hunter and Clarence rivers ; 

 and are common in similar situations at the mouth of the Herbert 

 River. The nest is a scanty structure of a few dry sticks, placed 

 crosswise on a horizontal bough ; the eggs two to four, occa- 

 sionally five in number, of a beautiful greenish-blue, about the 

 size or a little smaller than the eggs of the common domestic 

 fowl. 



181. — BuTOROiDEs FLAVicoLLis, Gould. Bds. aust.fol. Vol. VI, pi. 65. 

 One specimen only. Laloki River. 



