Avifauna of New Caladonia. 531 



in Fiji or Tonga, It breeds with us, we are informed, in the 

 marshes about Teremba and Bourail. It does not extend 

 inland, as does the next species. It feeds on small fish, Crus- 

 tacea, &c. 



56. HeRODIAS NOViE-HOLLANDIiE, Lath. 



We have obtained this species at Moindou up the river, at 

 Honailow, and Canala. At the latter place we saw it, while 

 rowing up the river, in considerable numbers. We shot a 

 female, apparently about to lay, at Moindou on the 15th of 

 October. Bill greenish; legs and feet yellow-brown; iris 

 pale yellow. Native (Bourail) name " Gogorie,^' 



57. BuTORoiDEs JAVANICA, Horsf. 



A pair of these birds were watched at Ansevata in June 

 1879 for more than an hour by E. L. L., who, being well 

 acquainted with the species in Ceylon, had no difficulty in 

 identifying them. They, however, never gave a chance for a 

 shot, though they were followed for upwards of two miles. 

 The species is named by Drs. Finsch and Hartlaub as occur- 

 ring in New Caledonia, but is not included in M. Marie^s 

 list. 



58. BoTAURUS rcECiLOPTiLus, Wagler. 



We had heard of a wonderful bird that inhabited the 

 swamps, even in the neighbourhood of Noumea, which 

 frightened belated travellers and " made night hideous '' with 

 its unearthly cries, and were therefore not astonished when 

 our friend M. Saves presented us with a fine specimen of the 

 Australian Bittern, shot at Ansevata. We subsequently 

 obtained a few other examples ; and we suspect that it is not 

 very rare in suitable localities. From its retiring habits, how- 

 ever, it is seldom procured, unless purposely hunted, there 

 being here no Snipe to tempt the shooters into swamps. 



59. Nycticorax caledonicus (Steph.). 



This Night-Heron is found sparingly wherever we have 

 been; but it is a curious fact that, though perhaps a dozen 

 specimens have come into our hands to be skinned, not one 

 has possessed the long white occipital plumes which have 



