306 BIRDS or AUSTRALIA. 



Sp. 554. HERODIAS PICATA, Gould. 



Pied Egret. 



Ardea {Herodias) picata, Gould in Proc. of Zool. See, part xiii. p. 62. 

 Go-le-buk-o, Aborigines of Port Essington. 



Herodias picata, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. vi. pi. 62. 



Examples of this species, not the least beautiful member of 

 the tribe to which it belongs, have been sent to me by Gilbert 

 and by Commander Ince ; they were all procured in the 

 neighbourhood of Port Essington, where Gilbert states that it 

 inhabits the inland swamps, and is usually encountered in small 

 families often in company with other species, but is not so 

 abundant in the vicinity of the harbour as on the islands at 

 the head of Van Diemen's Gulf, where it appeared to be very 

 numerous. 



The stomachs of those dissected were found to be capacious 

 and membranous, and the food to consist of fi-sh, aquatic 

 insects and their larva?. 



I regret to say that nothing more is at present known re- 

 specting it. 



Upper part of the head, occiput, occipital plumes, the whole 

 of the plumage of the body, wings, and tail bluish slaty black ; 

 chin, neck, chest, and some of the lanceolate feathers depend- 

 ent therefrom, white ; some few of the lanceolate feathers on 

 the neck and breast have one web white and the other web 

 bluish slaty black ; the remainder of these lanceolate feathers 

 are the same colour as the body ; irides yellow ; bill, legs, and 

 feet greenish yellow. 



The young birds differ in having the whole of the under 

 surface white. 



Total length 17 inches ; bill 3^ ; wing 10 ; tail 3^ ; tarsi 3^. 



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