v°'- ^^i-l White, North Australian Birds. IS'^ 



1917 J ' ^^ 



Small Young. — Iris cream, bill dull dark greenish-yellow, skin 

 dark greyish-green, legs dark greyish-green. 



Half-fledged Young. — Iris pale yellow, bill yellow, naked skin 

 yellow tinged with green, legs pale greyish-green. 



Full-fledged Young. — Similar to adult birds. The parent birds 

 always displayed their plumes when they returned to the nest to 

 feed young or to sit on their eggs. They bow gracefully, the crest 

 and neck plumes become erected, and the dorsal plumes are erected 

 to an angle of 90 degrees and spread fan-like for a few seconds after 

 reaching the nest. When chastising an intruder, in the form of a 

 youngster that has strayed from its own nest, or when repelling 

 a marauder in the form of N. flavirostris , the plumes and all the feathers 

 of the body are erected, and with bill agape and wings extended 

 the bird pecks savagely. Very shy birds. Young birds, on being 

 approached, eject the contents of their stomachs and walk out on 

 to branches or go over the side of the nest and fall to the ground or 

 into the water. If replaced in the nest they walk off on the opposite 

 side, and have to be replaced several times before they settle down 

 again. 

 Garzetta nigrlpes (immaculata) v^Lesser Egret). 



Nests. — From a frail, sUghtly concave structure 8 inches in 

 diameter to bulkier structures 15 inches in diameter, composed of 

 small sticks and occasionally branchlets with leaves attached, placed 

 from 5 to 15 feet from the ground. Clutch, from three to five eggs. 

 Small Young. — Iris grey, bill dull slate-green and dull yellow, naked- 

 skin dull yellow, legs dark greyish-green, skin of body dull greyish- 

 green. 



Half-fledged Young.— Iris greenish-grey, bill yellow, tip blackish, 

 naked skin yellow, legs and skin of body pale slate-green. 



Full-fledged Young — Similar to adult birds, except the bill, which 

 is yellow tipped with black. 



The parent birds always display their plumes on returning to 

 the nest to feed the young or to sit on their eggs. They bow 

 gracefully, and the dorsal plumes are erected to an angle of about 

 90 degrees, and spread fan-like for some seconds after reaching the 

 nest. They are savage birds, and attack any young that come near 

 the nest until they have either driven the intruder off or knocked 

 it into the water. Stray young ones covered with blood were often 

 noticed about the rookery. Young, in common with those of the 

 others, on one's approach eject the contents of their stomachs and 

 walk off the nest and fall beneath. They have to be replaced several 

 times before they settle down in the nest again. 



Notophoyx flavirostris (Pied Egret). 



Nests. — From a frail, slightly concave structure 8 inches in 

 diameter to bigger structures 12 inches in diameter, composed of 

 small mangrove sticks and occasionally branchlets with leaves 

 attached and placed from 5 to 1 5 feet from the ground. Clutch, 

 three to four eggs. 



Small Young. — Iris grey, bill brown and flesh colour, legs fleshy- 

 brown, skin of body blackish. Down of the head variable — buff, 

 blackish, or whitish ; down of the body — upper surface blackish, 

 under surface whitish. 



Half -fledged Young. — Iris greyish-brown, bill and naked skin 

 brownish-black, legs pale yellowish-green, skin of body darker. 



