BIRDS OF TASMANIA. 195 



Corea Baj^; coast of Further India and Austro-Malaj'an Airlii- 

 pelago " (A. J. Campbell). 



Observations. — Although found in many places round the coast 

 of Tasmania, some of the islands in Bass Strait must be considered 

 its sti'onghold as far as Tasmania and its dependencies are con- 

 cerned. ]\Iuch discussion has taken place among authorities at 

 various times concerning the blue and white phases of this species. 

 Those who are interested in this matter can find valuable informa- 

 tion in Legge's " Birds of Ceylon," Baird, Brewer, and Eidgway's 

 " North American Water-Birds," and the writings of Drs. Finsch 

 and HartlaXib. 



-NIGHT-HERON 



(Nycticorax calcdonicus, Gmelin). 



Male. — Head black, with two long white plumes; eyebrow 

 white ; upper surface cinnamon or light chestnut ; whole of under 

 surface white; bill black; legs and feet yellow. Dimensions in 

 mm. : — Length, 505; bill, 76; wing, 296; tail, 92; tarsus, 90. 



Female. — Similar to male. 



Young. — Upper surface heavily streaked and spotted with 

 buffy- white, under surface streaked with blackish. 



Nest. — Loose platfonxi of sticks, placed in a heronry, in trees 

 standing in water. 



Eggs. — Clutch four; oval in shape; texture of shell fairly 

 coarse; surface slightly glossy; colour light bluish-green. Dimen- 

 sions in mm. of a pair : — (1) 50 x 35, (2) 50.25 x 35.5. 



Breeding Season. — September to December. 



GeograpJiical Distribution. — Tasmania, Australia in general, 

 New Zealand, and several islands in the I'acific. 



Observations. — The Nankeen Night-Heron is a rare species as 

 far as Tasmania is concerned, there being but few localities from 

 which it has been recorded. As its name implies, it is a nocturnal 

 species, seeking its food in swamps and lagoons when ixiost of the 

 other members of the feathered world are steeped in slumber. 



Its note is a hoarse croaking one, which can be heard for some 

 considerable distance on a still night. During the daytime it sleeps 

 in lofty trees. 



^BITTERN 



(Botaurus poeciloptilus, Wagler). 



Male. — Head and nape dark brown; back of neck and back 

 dark purplish-brown, varied with buff; tail feathers dark brown, 

 margined and freckled with buff ; scapulars and secondaries like 

 back, and mottled on the edges with tawny-yellow; "the longer 

 coverts with broad arrow-head marks along their whole extent, 

 and the shorter ones freckled and mottled with different shades 

 of brown " (Buller) ; quills purplish-brown, with buff markings on 



