jCA \White, North Australian Birds. [isim""- 



each other. With tail erect, bill pointing upward almost at right 

 angles to the body, and wings drooping, the birds gave a few jerky 

 bows, chased each other around for a few times, and returned to 

 where their respective females were perched. They then uttered 

 their calls, which the females responded to, but in a less vigorous 

 manner. 



30/3/16. — Eyes too bad to go afield to-day. 



31/3/16. — -Eyes little better. Went across the river to the big 

 creek. Varied bird-observing with crocodile-shooting to-day. 



1/4/ 1 6. — Day of general observation and skinning specimens. 



2/4/16. — More general observation. 



3/4/16. — Heard Bronze-Cuckoos calling this morning ; went after 

 them. It took two hours to locate one and secure it. Otherwise day 

 uneventful. 



Concluding Observations. 



4/4/16. — Spent morning writing up notes. After lunch went 

 over to the rookery. The majority of the young Egrets have left 

 the nests, and are perched on the topmost branches of the man- 

 groves, which from a distance appear to be covered with snow. 

 Some of them are fairly strong on the wing, but do not think many 

 have been away from the rookery yet. 



Herodias timoriensis (syrmatophorus) (Australian Egret). 



Nests. — Thin, slightly concave structures, from 18 to 30 inches 

 in diameter, composed of small sticks and placed from 12 to 28 feet 

 from the ground in the topmost branches of mangroves. Clutch, 

 from three to four eggs. Apparently one of the first Egrets to start 

 breeding. The parent birds were occasionally seen displaying their 

 plumes when returning to the nest to feed young. The bird bows 

 gracefully, and the dorsal plume is erected to an angle of about 

 90 degrees with a fan-like spread for a few seconds after the bird 

 reaches the nest. They are exceedingly shy birds, and leave the 

 nest as soon as they catch sight of an intruder. 



Small Young.— Iris greyish, bill dull brownish-yellow, skin dull 

 greyish-green, legs dull brown. 



Half-fledged Young. — Iris creamy yellow ; skin pale sulphur- 

 yellow tinged with green ; bill yellow, tip and cutting edge black ; 

 feet very dark greenish-brown, heel and above pale yellow tinged 

 with green and mottled with dark greenish-brown. 



Full-fledged Young. — Similar to adult birds. The young, on one's 

 near approach, eject the contents of their stomachs, and, if strong 

 enough, leave the nest and walk out on to the branches. They were 

 invariably seen sitting on the extreme edge of the nests. During 

 the middle of the day the parent birds shelter them from the sun 

 by standing over them with outspread wings. 



Mesophoyx plumlfera (Plumed Egret). 



Nests. — From a frail, slightly concave structvire 10 inches in 

 diameter to bulkier structures 20 inches in diameter, composed of 

 small sticks and occasionally branchlets with the leaves attached, 

 and placed from 5 to 15 feet from the ground. Clutch, from two 

 to five eggs. 



