110 ARDEID^. 



1877, p. 263 ; Ramsay, P. Z. S. 1877, p. 34] (Queensland) ; id. 



Proc. Linn. Soc. N. S. tV. ii. p. 198 (1878) ; Rosenb. Malay. Archip. 



p. 373 (1878-79 : Am; Goram), p. 563 (New Guinea); Salvad. 



Ann. Mus. Genov. xiv. p. 667 (1879), xviii. p. 332 (1882); id. 



Orn. Papuasia etc. iii. p. 342 (1882) ; 3Ieyer, Zeitschr. ges. Orn. 



i. pp. 196, 216 (1884 : Timor Laut) ; Ramsay, Proc. Linn. Soc. 



N. S. W. (2) i. pp. 1096, 1164 (1887 : Derby, N.W. Austr.) ; id. 



op. cit. ii. p. 172 (1888) ; id. Tab. List Austr. B. p. 21 (1888 : 



nearly the wliole of Australia & Tasmania) ; Buller, B. New 



Zeal. 2nd ed. ii. p. 134 (1888) ; North, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. W. 



(2) iii. p. 1778 (1889 : Cumberland Co., N.S.W.) ; id. Nests 8^ Eggs 



Austr. B. p. 318 (1889) ; CoxSf Hamilton, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. W. 



(2) iv. p. 420 (1890 : Mudgee distr., breeding); North, t.c. p. 102o 



(Roeburne) ; Salvad. Agq. Orn. Papuasia, iii. p. 205 (1891) ; North, 



Proc. Linn. Soc. N S. W. (2) viii. p. 238 (1894 : Norfolk Island) ; 



Meyer ^ Wit/lesiv. Ahh. k. zool. Mus. Dresden, 1894-95, no, 4, 



p. 2 (1894 : kema). 

 Ardea leucops, Wagl. Syst. Av., Ardea, p. 181, sp. 17 (1827). 

 Herodias novre hollandise, Gray, List Grail. Brit. Mus. p. 80 (1844) ; 



Bp. Consp. Av. ii. p. 120 (1855) ; id. C. R. xl. p. 722 (1855) ; Verr. 



et Des Murs, Rev. et Mag. de Zool. 1860, p. 436 (New Caledonia) ; 



Marie, Act. Soc. Linn. Bord. xxvii. p. 328 (1870 : N. Caledonia) ; 



E. L. 4- Z. L. C. Layard, Ibis, 1880. p. 232 (Loyalty IsL). 

 Egretta novse hollandise, Licht. Nomencl. Av. Mus.Berol. p. 89 (1854 : 



Australia). 

 Demiegretta novae hollandise, Meyer, Verh. z.-b. ges. Wien, 1881, 



p. 767 (Sumba). 



Adult male. General colour above slaty grey, with long ornamental 

 lanceolate plumes on the back and scapulars ; lower back, rump, 

 and ujjper tail-coverts lighter slaty grey ; wing-coverts entirely slaty 

 grey, as also the inner secondaries, the latter being pointed at the 

 ends ; bastard-wing, primary-coverts, and quills black, shaded with 

 slaty grey : head and neck darker slate-colour, inclining to black on 

 the crown, the nape-feathers forming an elongated crest ; forehead, 

 eyebrow, feathers behind the eye, cheeks, and throat white, the 

 latter ending in a point ; ear-coverts dusky grey like the sides of 

 the neck and lower throat ; the plumes of the fore neck greatly 

 elongated and lanceolate and of a vinous tint ; the long feathers at 

 the sides of the upper breast grey, with vinous tips ; abdomen, 

 thighs, and vent pale vinous isabelline ; the sides of the body, under 

 tail-coverts, under wing-coverts, and axiUaries light grey with a 

 slight vinous tinge : " orbits and base of bill in some pale grey, in 

 others deep lead-colour ; base of lower mandible flesh-colour ; iris in 

 some lead-colour, in others yellow, in others pale buff " {J. Gould). 

 Total length about 26 inches, culmen 3-15, wing 12-5, tail 5-2, 

 tarsus 3'75. 



Young. Differs from the adult in being uniform grey above, many 

 of the feathers with light brown at the ends, the head uniform grey 

 like the back, the eyebrow and sides of face light ashy, the cheeks 

 and upper throat white ; the rest of the under surface as in the adult, 

 but without the long ornamental plumes on the fore-neck. 



Considerable difference exists in a series of specimens with regard 

 to the colour of the face, some having the whole of the face white, 

 including the ear-coverts and greater part of the crown. As far 



