l52 Whit]', Descriptions of New or Rare Eggs. [^ j^j"^!",, 



Garzetta nigripes, Temm. {Egretta garzetta immaciUata) . Lesser 

 Egret. 



I am of opinion that authentic Australian-laid eggs have not 

 previously been described — in fact, I can find two doubtful 

 references only. A. J. Campbell, in " Nests and Eggs," page 958, 

 gives particulars of a clutch of these eggs said to have been taken 

 on the Nicholson River, Gulf of Carpentaria, North Queensland. 

 The set is now in my possession, and is clearly wrongly identified. 

 G. M. Mathews (" Birds of Australia," vol. iii., p. 424) quotes 

 the same clutch. Mr. A. J. North omits the bird from " Nests 

 and Eggs." I have a list of most of the larger oological collections 

 in Austraha. G. nigripes is on some of them, but in each case, 

 when I queried the identification, the owner admits a certain 

 amount of doubt. 



My doubts receive confirmation from the fact that no descrip- 

 tion I have read makes any mention of the single long white 

 feather which grows from the back of the head of the adult birds 

 during the nesting season. My specimens show this peculiar 

 feather (after the style of those worn by Nycticorax caledonicus), 

 and Mr. M'Lennan states that it was noticed on the bulk of the 

 birds at the Roper River Heronry. If this feather is so prom- 

 inent during the nesting season, is it not reasonable to suppose 

 that collectors would have made a note of it when taking the 

 eggs ? Most probably eggs of Mesophoyx plumifera have been 

 mistaken for those of Garzetta nigripes, but when seen together 

 they are readily separable. 



The average dimensions of twelve clutches of M. plumifera is 

 1.82 X 1.33, while the average of the same number of G. nigripes 

 is 1.69 X 1.23 inches. The former is rather darker in colour, and 

 the texture of the shell is different, M. plumifera being more 

 deeply pitted. 



G. nigripes lays three to four eggs as a rule, five very rarely. 

 They may be described as being of the usual Heron shape. 

 Texture of shell smooth, very slightly limed in some cases, colour 

 very pale bluish-green. Average dimensions, 1.73 x 1.24. ' / ':, 



The clutches I claim to be types measure : — Types (typical 

 clutch). — Dimensions in inches — {a) 1.68 x 1.23, {b) 1.67 x 1.25, 

 {c) 1.68 X 1.23, {d) 1.68 X 1.27. Co-Types (typical clutch). — 

 (a) 1.70 X 1.27, (6) 1.60 X 1.23, (c) 1.62 X 1.23, {d) 1.62 X 1.27. 

 Another clutch, which are much more elongated and more pointed 

 towards the smaller ends, measures — [a) 1.77 x 1.18, {b) 1.67 x 

 1. 18, (c) 1.68 X 1. 18, {d) 1.72 X 1. 21. 



Nest a rough structure of sticks about 12 inches across, placed 

 chiefly in low mangrove trees growing along the edge of streams 

 or tidal water. 



Dacelo minor {Dacelo gigas minor). Northern Brown Kingfisher. 



Types. — ^Three eggs, very roimded ovals in shape ; surface of 

 shell very fine, ratlier glossy, and pitted all over (and much con- 

 fined to the larger ends in this case) ; colour white. 



(a) 1.67 X 1.27, {b) 1.67 X 1.28, (c) 1.62 X 1.27 inches. 



