316 BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 



richly variegated appearance ; elongated feathers of the breast 

 pale brown, narrowly margined with buff; under surface 

 greyish brown, stained with buff; irides yellow ; bill dark 

 horn-colour ; feet olive-brown. 



The female differs in having the colours of the throat less 

 brilliant and contrasted, and the upper surface of a lighter 

 brown than that of the male. 



The late Prince Charles Lucian Bonaparte was of opinion 

 that this bird was distinct from the Indian species to which 

 the specific name oi fiavicollis was originally applied, and 

 under this impression named after myself ; if it should prove 

 to be different, then the bird must bear the name the Prince 

 assigned to it. 



Sp. 560. BUTOROIDES MACRORHYNCHA, Gould. 



Thick-billed Mangrove-Bittern. 



Ardetta maa^orhyncha, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc, 1848, p. 39. 

 Butorides macrorhyncha, Bonap. Compt. Rend, de PAcad. Sci., 

 torn, xliii. seance du 2 Aout, 1856. 



Ardetta macrorhyncha, Gould, Birds of Australia, fol., vol. vi. 

 pi. 66. 



The more robust bill, larger head and greater size of this 

 species will at all times distinguish it from Butoroides javanica. 

 The only part of Australia from which it has yet been received 

 is the east coast. I myself observed two individuals sitting 

 close to their flat nest on the branch of a mangrove growing 

 on Garden Island near the mouth of the Hunter. It inhabits 

 the mangrove swamps, and assumes all the habits and actions 

 of the A. javanica, and hke that species feeds upon the crabs 

 and other crustaceans which there abound. 



Crown of the head and occipital crest black, with green 

 reflexions ; neck, all the upper surface, and wing-coverts 

 greenish olive ; wing-coverts narrowly margined with deep 

 rufous ; primaries and tail slate-grey ; spurious wmg, second- 



