Order Ardelformes, Family Ardeidae, Genus Notophoyx. 



09 



Distribution — Found over the whole of Australia and the 



adjacent islands includinj; Tasmania. 



Habits — They are found on the banks of water courses, 

 swamps, tidal flats, and reefs, around the shore-s of lakes and 

 even small dams and waterholes. They wade through the 

 water and o\-ei- nniddy tiats in search of food, but do not stand 

 motionless and watch for their prey to come to them, like the 

 <ommon European Heron ; they are expert mouse catchers, and 

 are to be often seen stalking about in dry grass, and stinkweed 

 some distance from water in search of mice. 



Flight— Strai.uht, with slow heavy flaps of the wings. In 

 flight the head is bent back until the back of the head rests be- 

 tween the shoulders, the legs are carried straight out behind. 



Food — Tadpoles, frogs, crickets, small fish, crabs, yabbies 

 { Afflaropsis), mice, grasshoppers, and other insects. 



Nest — ^Merely a rough platform of coarse sticks with a few 

 smaller twigs to form a lining placed on a horizontal fork of a 

 large tree from i!0 to .50 feet from the gr-^und, the nesting tree 

 being generally selected near water, but sometimes a mile or 

 more from water. They do not nest in colonies. 



Note — \A'hen nesting, a harsh cry is made when upon the 

 v»'iug. generally when passing to and from nesting tree to feed 

 ing ground ; General Note — A harsh croak-like sound, but not 

 often uttered. 



J'^ggs — Three 1o tive in number, usually four, in a clutch, of 

 a uniform light blue colour; average measurements of thirteen 

 egg^ — 4S..") m.m. x ^5..") m.m. ; Largest egg — 49.0 m.m. x 38.0 

 ni.ui.: smallest egg — 4().0 m.m. x :U..5 m.m. 



Measurements of the bird in the flesh— Total length, t>98 

 ni.iii.,: wing, from body to tip, 4<»1) m.m.; spread of wings, I.IOB 

 iii.m.; bill, SO m.m.; tarsus, 107 m.m. 



