16 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



The sexes are alike in plumage, but the female is con- 

 siderably larger than her mate. 



Adults have the head, neck, all the under surface, and 

 the terminal third of the tail-feathers white; primaries and 

 base of the tail blackish brown, the remainder of the plumage 

 grey ; irides dark brown ; bill bluish horn-colour, with the 

 tip black; cere, lores, and horny space over the eye bluish 

 lead- colour slightly tinged with green ; legs and feet yellowish 

 white ; nails black. 



The young have the head, back of the neck, and throat 

 light buff; all the upper surface and wings light chocolate- 

 brown, each feather tipped with buffy white ; tail light buffy 

 white at the base, passing into deep brown towards the tip, 

 which is white ; chest brown, each feather margined with 

 buff; abdomen mingled buff and brown, the latter colour 

 occupying the margins of the feathers ; under tail-coverts, 

 and the under surface of the tail-feathers white. 



Since the above was written, I have received an example 

 from the north coast; and I have no doubt that its range 

 extends over the islands of the eastern archipelago and the 

 peninsula of India generally ; indeed Mr. Jerdon states that 

 it inhabits the sea-shores of the latter country, and occasionally 

 ascends its larger rivers. 



Whether as a result of the progress of civilization and the 

 destructive hand of man this fine bird has been extirpated 

 from the precincts of the great city of Sydney and similarly 

 populous places is for the present race of Australians to say ; 

 in all probability, this to a certain extent has been the case ; 

 still the bird will hold its own in other parts of the colony for 

 a long time to come ; yet (and it is pitiable to comtemplate 

 such a contingency) a period will doubtless arrive when the 

 bays and inlets of the southern coast of Australia will no 

 longer be adorned by the presence of this elegant species. 



An opinion has been expressed that the enormous nests 

 observed by Captains Cook and Flinders had been constructed 





