50 CICONllD*. 



and it was not until tlien that 1 realised what an enormous structure it was, and can say, without 

 exaggeration that a man could lie at full length on the nest without overlapping the edges. 

 It was certainly larger than any nest of the Wedge-tailed Eagle 1 had ever seen." 



Mr. George Savidge wrote as follows from Copmanhurst, Upper Clarence District, New 

 South Wales, under date i2th February, igio: — " The Jabiru ( Xi-iiorln'iichni asiaticiis) is now a 

 very scarce bird about the Clarence River District. In the early days of settlement I 

 saw them on the sand spit of Susan Island, at Grafton, also about the larger swamp at the 

 back of Ulinarra and the mangrove and tea-tree swamps along the coast. I have never been 

 successful in locating its nest and eggs, but my friend Mr. Collett tells me they used to breed 

 on his property, at the rear of Ulmarra, not many years ago, and constructed a huge nest of 

 sticks, etc., in a Tea-tree not many feet above the ground, and he observed the young ones in 

 the nest ; he has also found them breeding in the swampy Tea-tree country along the coast, not 

 far from Corinda." 



From Melbourne, \'ictoria, Mr. G. A. Keartland sends me the following notes: — "In the 

 shallow water on the margin of the Fitzroy River, North Western Australia, I saw many 

 Jabirus (Xeiioi'Iiviuinis asiaticiis) in pairs, or perhaps three or four at a time, either wading or 

 standing motionless watching for some unwary fish. In the latter case, as soon as its prey was 

 within reach, the bird made a quick mo\'ement, and the next instant the fish was shaking in the 

 Jabiru's bill, and soon swallowed. Sometimes, I was informed, whilst the bird was watching 

 for fish in water about eighteen inches deep, a crocodile would steal up behind the Jabiru, seize 

 it by the legs, and before it could flutter it was dragged into deep water and disappeared. 

 Although I did not actually see this done with the Jabiru, 1 did witness similar scenes with 

 other birds. Several Jabiru's nests which I examined were built of sticks in the forked branches 

 of large trees, and might easily be mistaken for those of the Wedge-tailed Eagle. Along the 

 Daly River they were much more plentiful, and the natives secure numbers of their eggs and 

 young. Although very wary if approached by a person with a gun, the natives seem to kill 

 them easily with their short throwing sticks." 



Relative to a set of four eggs secured on behalf of the Trustees, Mr. A. P. Kemp, 

 late of West Kempsey, sent me the following notes under date 2oth November, 1S97 : — ■ 

 "The nest of Xeuoi'IiyiicJnis asiaticiis was found last September near West Kempsey, by Mr. 

 Angus Sutherland, built at the top of a tree in a swamp in full Hood by late rains. The 

 nest, he informed me, is a large flat one composed of sticks and twigs, five feet in height by 

 three feet in diameter, and is a very firm structure; it contained four eggs, which I am sending 

 you for the Museum. It appears the birds had since utilized the nest again, laying four eggs, 

 but when found they were just upon the point of hatching. I intended gomg out to see this 

 nest, for Mr. Sutherland informed me we could snare the bird while sitting, but I have been 

 prevented from doing so by the swamps in the locality being swollen with flood waters. This 

 district seems to be a favourite spot for these birds, as I have heard of a good number of their 

 nests being found from time to time. Since writing to you I have seen a tame Jabiru in the 

 possession of Mr. Peter Knaven, of Frederickton, and he tells me he has had it for three 

 years. It is a beautiful bird, very tame, and lives principally upon beef." 



The eggs are usually four, rarely five in number for a sitting, oval in form, of a dull yellowish- 

 white or pale whity-brown colour, the shell being comparatively close-grained, smooth, but 

 minutely pitted all over, similar to those of Platibis Jiavipes. The outer surface is almost lustreless, 

 and that of the inner, when held to the light, is of a deep green colour. A set of two taken on 

 the Clarence River, New South Wales, measures.- — Length (A) 2-93 x 2-1 inches; (B) 2-92 

 X 2-12 inches. A set of four eggs, taken further south near the Macleay River, measures : — 

 Length (A) 2-88 x 2-05 inches; (B) 3-01 x 2-1 inches; (C) 2-97 x 2-08 inches; (0)2-98 x 

 2-12 inches; the latter specmien is represented on Plate B. XVH., fig. 4. Hume states when 



