Q32 NESTS AXD EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



706. — Heuodias timoriensis, Lesson. — (549) 

 7/. a//i(i (life. Liuiiseus), Gould. 



EGRET. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of Austr.ilia, fol 

 Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mas., vol. 

 Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — Potts 



Birds of New Zealand (1873), vol. 



Southern Science Record {1883) 



app. (1890). 



Geographical Distrilriitlo/i. — Whole of Australia and Tasmania; also 

 New Zealand, and through the Au,stro-Mala.yan Archipelago up to North 

 China and Japan. 



Nest. — Finnly and coai-sely built of sticks, well interlaced, and form- 

 ing a strong platfonn. There is no lining except the smaller twigs that 

 finish off the ,top. Diameter, about 17 inches. Usual position in a 

 heronry or colony in trees, overhanging a river. Sometimes, however, 

 the nest is solitary. 



Eyys. — Clutch, three to foiu" ; elliptically inclined in shape ; textui'c 

 of shell coarse; sm-face shghtly glossy; colour, light bluish-gi-een. 

 Dimensions in inch&s of a clutch: (1) 2-22 x 1-5, (2) 2-2 x 1-55, (3) 

 2-2 X 1-52, (4) 2-2 x 1-52. (Plate 26.) 



Ubservatioiis. — The Large Egret is a noble species in matchless white 

 plumage. Graceful phunes spring from the back and overlap the tail, 

 while the bill and eyes are yellowish, and the legs look oddly black. 

 The ornamental plumes are only worn during the breeding season. In 

 size the bird is long and graceful, and about 30 inches in length. Gould 

 called it the Australian Egret, and it is now accepted as not being 

 identical with the great White Heron of Europe and elsewhere. The 

 Australian variety ranges up to Japan. The bird, although not 

 numerous, has been noted for all the States, including Tasmania and 

 New Zealand, where it is met with along the livers and lagoons 

 of the inteiior, as well as in the neighbourhood of the coast. 

 Tlio birds fly gi-acefuUy with measiu-ed flight and slow, and it is a 

 beautiful sight to witness a small flock of them in tlie dazzling sunshine 

 aiTange themselves into the form of a pyramid on the crown of some 

 dead tree near the river. However, these are sights one sees when 

 one's gun is left in camp. But when you have that murderous weapon 

 the beautiful birds are extremely shy and difficult to approach within 

 range. I remember once obtaining a beautiful skin without expending 

 ammunition. I was in the sciiib on the Fitzroy River, Queensland, 

 when I heard a distant shot far down the river, and in the course of 

 time was astonished to see a lai'ge snow-white bird, like a meteor from 

 the sky, fall upon the gi-ound near mo dead. It was in full nuptial 

 plumage, adorned with plumes, and no doubt ex])ired when holding 011 

 its.coiu'se as long as it could after receiving the gun shot, the report of 

 which I had heard down the stream. 



