q66 .\i:STS AND EGGS OF AUSTRALIAN BIRDS. 



717. — DuPETOK GOULDi, Boiiapai'te. — (559) 

 Buforoichu flavico/lis, Latham. 



YELLOW-NECKED MANGROVE BITTERN. 



Figure. — Gould : Birds of .\ustralia, fol., vol. vi., pi. 65. 



Reference. — Cat. Birds Brit. Mus., vol. xxvi., p. 249. 



Previous Descriptions of Eggs. — Gould : Birds of Australia (184S) . 

 also Handbook, vol. ii., p. 315 (1865); Ramsay: Proc. Linn. 

 Soc, N.S. Wales, vol. ii., p. 55 (1882); North: Austn. Mus. 

 Cat., pi. iS, fig. 4 (18S9). 



Geographical Distribufioii. — Australia ill general (except Victoria); 

 also New Guinea. 



jVe.'it. — A flat structure or platfomi, slightly concave, composed of 

 small sticks, with a foundation of coarser ones, and placed on a hori- 

 zontal branch of a low tree — ^usually a mangrove, but sometimes other 

 tree — over water. Diameter, about 14 inches by about 3i inches thick. 



Eyija. — Clutch, four to five ; roundish or elliptical in shape ; texture 

 of shell somewhat fine ; surface slightly glossy ; colour, white, but 

 the inside lining has a light greenish tinge. Dimensions in inches 

 of a proper clutch: (1) 1-78 x 1-37, (2) 1-75 x 1-36, (3) 1-71 x 1-39, 

 (4) 1-71 xl-3G. 



Ohservaiions. — This fine Bittern, a lover of the muddy mangrove 

 tracts, is found almost wherever these trees grow in Australia. However, 

 it is not unfrequently found fmlher inland. It has been taken by the 

 Messrs. Barnard in the Dawson River district, Queensland, and Dr. E. 

 D'Ombrain obtained a specimen of the bird near Geimautown, between 

 Albiu-y and Wagga Wagga, New South Wales. 



Gould described a pair of eggs " of a very much paler bluish-green 

 and more rounded form than those of any other species of the group. 

 I have never seen them other than white in Austraha. 



In liis manuscript, Mr. Lau fiuiiishes a record of a nest of the 

 Yellow-necked Bittern, which lie found on the Clarence River, 1862. 

 It was in a mangrove tree, at a height of six feet from the ground, 

 and contained two eggs. 



During the last week of December, 1897. when my son Aixhie was 

 in the Big Scnib of Richmond River district, Mr. Elvery took a set of 

 eggs from a nest of this Bittern, situated in a horizontal limb of 

 acacia overhanging a creek. The nest was about twelve feet from the 

 surface of the water, and was picturesquely situated, by reason of the 

 acacia being in full bloom. 



Like some of the other members of its tribe, this Bittern resorts to 

 the same nest to lay again if previously robb(>d. Mr. Elvery states he 

 knew of two nests which were used altcniately by the same pair of 

 birds : this he proved by robbing one nest, whereupon the birds resorted 

 to the other. 



Breeding season, September to Januaiy. 



