THE WHITE HERON 199 



The White Heron. — Kotuku. 



Herodias Umoriensis. 



White; the bill yellow; uaked space before aud behind the eye, 

 greenish yellow. Legs below the knee and toes, black. Eye yellow. 

 Length of the wing 16.17 inches; of the tarsus, 6.25 inches. Egg — 

 Pale green; length 2.2 inches. From China and Japan, through the 

 Malay Archipelago to Australia and New Zealand; also parts of Africa 

 and Europe. 



According to a Maori proverb, the white heron has been a very 

 rare bird in New Zealand for a long time. This may have been 

 the case in the North Island, but certainly not in the South. 

 "When the first settlers came to the South Island, this bird was 

 not uncommon on the margins of lakes and rivers. Lake Heron, 

 in the Ashburton County, was named by ]\Ir. Potts, in 1857, on 

 account of the number of these birds which frequented its shores. 

 But the white heron is now very rare in New Zealand. It has 

 fallen a prey to the gunner, who has killed it, not for food, but 

 in a spirit of wanton destructiveness. 



There is a white heronry at Okarito, Westland, which was 

 visited by Mr. Potts and his sons in December, 1871. He counted 

 twenty nests in trees in close association with the nests of the 

 white-throated shag. The nests were firmly -made with sticks, 

 and contained three or four pale green eggs. These birds are still 

 seen occasionally in the Okarito district. The female commences 

 laying in the third week in November, and incubates for four 

 weeks. The 3'oung birds remain in the nest for a considerable 

 time. In the breeding season both sexes develop beautiful white 

 dorsal plumes, well known to milliners by the name of "egrets." 



The white heron feeds principally on fish, which it catches by 

 patiently waiting until they come near. "It is a sight for the 

 naturalist to remember when his eyes fall upon a kotuku, silently 

 standing with meditative mien in some shallow pool awaiting its 

 prey, ready for the fatal dart," says Mr. Potts. "Its spotless 

 plumage, thrown into bold relief against the backing of a mass 

 of foliage, is mirrored distortedly by the rippling water. Long 

 is the patient watch maintained in stilly silence. At length the 

 glistening prey glides unwarily within reach of the spear-lil^e 



