324 XIDIFICATIOX OF THE SPOONBILL AXD HEEOX, 



O* THE Breeding Place of Platalea flavipes ak"d Ardea pacifica. 

 By K. H. Be>'xett, Esq. 



On the plains some 30 miles north of the Lachlan Biver is 

 situated a large hollow or depression thickly overgrown with box 

 trees ; this hollow is about a mile wide, and winding through it 

 in various directions are several deep channels, fringed with 

 Polygonum. The average depth of this depression below the 

 level of the surrounding plain is between four and five feet, but 

 in the channels it is much deeper. For several years prior to 

 1870, very little water collected in this, and what there was, was 

 confined to the deep channels ; but in the year above mentioned, 

 owing to the unusual quantity of rain, and the surrounding 

 country having become harder from stocking, this place assumed 

 the appearance of a lake, and with the exception of seasons of 

 drought, large quantities of water have collected there, increasing 

 or diminishing according to the time of year. It has thus 

 become a favourite resort and breeding place of large numbers 

 of water fowl, and amongst them Spoonbills, Platalea flavipes — 

 the only breeding place of these birds I ever met with. During 

 the month of January 1877, I had occasion to pass this place, 

 and my attention was drawn to a large number of Spoonbills 

 constantly flying in and out of a thick patch of trees near the 

 centre of the swamp, where I concluded they were breeding. The 

 water at this time was low, and chiefly confined to the channels. 



Wishing greatly to obtain the eggs of this particular bird, 

 never having seen even a description of one of the species, 

 I eagerly made for the clump of trees through a dense growth of 

 " Boley Poley " bushes, that had sprung uj) as the water receded, 

 riding as far as I could, and leaving my horse, when the ground 

 became too soft. After some difiiculty, owing to the boggy 

 nature of the soil, I reached the trees in question, and found 

 that my surmise as to this being a breeding place was correct, 

 but to my intense disgust, I was too late, all the nests (amongst 



