GRALLiE. 53 



"The Blue Heron frequents the rocks under the sea-cliffs, and 

 the shores of the sheltered bays and estuaries, where it may be 

 observed moving actively about in search of its food, which consists 

 of small crabs and shell mollusks ; or perched on some prominent 

 point of rock, where its constant vigilance renders it difficult of 

 approach except under cover. When disturbed it rises slowly and 

 rather awkwardly, and makes a detour seaward, returning to a neigh- 

 bouring station on the rocks, or, if alarmed, wings its way slowly 

 across the bay or to some more remote part of the coast." — Buller. 



70. Ardea maculata. Lath. 



Little Bitteek. Kaoeiki. 



Back and quills, dark-brown; top of the bead, greenish-black ; front of the neck, buff, 

 passing into chestnut towards the back of the neck ; a stripe of chestnut streaked with 

 brown down the front of the neck ; wing-coverts, buff, striped with dark brown ; abdomen, 

 buffy-white, streaked with grey. In the young the back is varied with rufous, and some of 

 the primaries and secondaries are tipped with the same colour. 



L., 14; W., 6-2; B., 3; T., 2. 



Sab. — South Island ; Australia, Natal. 



Very few specimens have been obtained. 



71. Ardea pceciloptila. Wagl. 



BiTTEEN. MATUKIT-HTTEEPO. 



Blackish-brown, varied with buff. 



L., 26 ; W., 12-25 ; B., 325 ; T., 375. 



Uffff, — Brownish-olive; length, 2-17 ; breadth, 1-5. 



Sab. — Both Islands ; Chatham Islands, Australia, Tasmania. 



^^The Common Bittern is very generally distributed over the 

 country, in places suited to its habits of life, such as raupo swamps, 

 sedgy lagoons, and those ' blind creeks,^ covered over with a growth 

 of reeds and tangle, which are so numerous in all the low districts. 

 In some localities it is comparatively abundant — for example, along 

 the whole extent of swampy flats lying between Waikanae and Rangi- 

 tikei, on the west coast of the Wellington Province, where I have 

 obtained half-a-dozen in the course of a single afternoon. It is like- 

 wise met with in all parts of the Australian continent, although very 

 few specimens appear to have been sent to Europe; and Captain 

 Sturt reports that he found it very plentiful in the marshes of the 

 interior. It is said to occur also in the Chatham Islands ; and there 

 is reason to believe that its range extends to Polynesia 



" It is a true Bittern in all its habits, being, in fact, the southern 

 representative of the Botaurus stellaris of Europe. It appears to love 

 a solitary life, being always met with singly; it remains concealed 

 during the heat of the day, and at eventide startles the ear with its 

 four loud booming notes, slowly repeated, and resembling the distant 

 roar of an angry bull. It subsists on mice, lizards, eels, and fresh- 



