^°|-^g'-| Matt fsoLEY, More Aboil/ Heronsi I^^ 



after a lengthy day's battle. After several days' excursions to 

 various swamps, studying their avine inhabitants, we depart for 

 the metropolis, and reach once again the smoke and dust of 

 ]\Ielbourne. Notwithstanding the trials of being companionless, 

 except for mosquitoes, heat, and exhaustive work, I determined 

 to revisit this locality again during my Christmas vacation to 

 obtain one picture only — namely, that of the White Crane or 

 Egret feeding its young. I had arranged by letter all the 

 requisite details of my trip with some of the Mathoura residents, 

 since I had but three days at my disposal and wished to crowd 

 as much work into that time as possible. On my reaching 

 Mathoura, however, the swampsman who had accompanied us 

 before, and whose services had been retained for this trip also, 

 was found inebriated, the result of too much " Christmas cheer." 

 I was in a dilemma thereby, since unaided I would be unable to 

 throw my rope ladder from the boat into the high eucalypts at 

 the heronry, and the main object of my trip looked doomed to 

 failure. Try where I would, I could not induce anyone to leave 

 their Christmas festivities and fill themselves up with ornithology 

 instead. How^ever, next morning I unearthed an energetic, 

 pushing — or, rather, paddling — man, locally known as " Wagga 

 Jack," who agreed to accompany me to the heronry provided we 

 returned home again that night. Perforce I accepted his terms, 

 but I had some misgivings that we would not be able to accomplish 

 my object. Without much ado we started in a heavy boat and 

 paddled for all we were worth for about 12 miles to the heronry, 

 the boat making splendid headway in response to our strenuous 

 exertions, and my limbs fairly aching at the unusual exertion. 

 As we rounded a bend in the river a solitary White-fronted 

 Heron {NotopJioyx novcB-Jiollandice), commonly known as the 

 Blue Crane, was seen standing poised on one leg. A more apt 

 definition of this bird is Blue Crane, since the name White- 

 fronted Heron is certainly more applicable to the Pacific Heron 

 {NotopJioyx pacified), whose plumage is white in front, and which 

 is more readily discernible on account of its being made more 

 prominent by the dark background of the balance of this 

 Heron's plumage. The Blue Crane was balanced on one leg 

 only, the other being drawn up under its body as if it were 

 lame — a characteristic pose of the bird — whilst its whole appear- 

 ance as it stood with its long neck and head bent back in the 

 form of a crushed-in figure eight, was one of dejection, although 

 it is the pose of satisfaction. 



White Cranes, as the Egrets are commonly known, and 

 Nankeen Night-Herons were also often disturbed as we swept 

 by the shallows near the bank on which they were fishing for 

 yabbies and shrimps, which, together with frogs, young fish, and 

 small mammals, form their diet. The large amount of good the 

 Herons do, especially the White-fronted Heron, is but seldom 



