296 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



Sp. 546. ARDEA SUMATRANA, Baffles. 



Great-billed Heron. 



Ardea sumatrana, Raffl. Linn. Trans, vol. xiii. p. 325. 



typhon, Temm. PL Col., 475. 



fusca, Blyth, Ann. Nat. Hist., 1844, p. 176. 



insignis, Hodgs. 



rectirostris, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, part xi. p. 22. 



Typhon 7-ectirosfris, Bonap. Compt. Rend, de PAcad. Sci., torn, xliii. 



seance du 2, Aout 1856. 

 Oo'loo-munc/-a, Aborigines of Port Essington, Gilbert. 

 Mditch, Aborigines of Port Essington, Macgillivray. 



Ardea rectirostris, Goidd, Birds of Australia, foL, vol. vi. pi. 54. 



The only part of Australia in which this bird has been seen 

 is the Cobourg Peninsula on the north coast, where Gilbert 

 found it breeding on the 5th of February. He states that it 

 is solitary in its habits, and is only to be found in the most 

 secluded creeks or in the open spaces among the mangroves. 

 Mr. Mcgillivray also observed it at Port Essington, but could 

 not obtain any information respecting it. A fine adult specimen 

 was procured by Dr. Sibbald, R.N. , and Mr. Macgillivray was 

 so fortunate as to kill a young bird in a large mangrove 

 swamp at the head of a bay called Wan-man-mema : it was 

 exceedingly shy and watchful of his motions, and he had 

 great difficulty in getting even a long shot at it. 



The nest observed by Gilbert was built in an upright fork 

 of a large and lofty Melaleuca at about eighty feet from the 

 ground, and was formed of an outer layer of very strong 

 sticks, with a few small twigs as a lining, and contained two 

 eggs of a light ash-grey. 



The bird when discovered appeared very reluctant to leave 

 the nest, and instead of the harsh croak usually uttered by it, 

 emitted on this occasion a note drawn out to a considerable 

 length, and at times resembling distant thunder, which was 



