Birds of Celebes: Ardeidae. 817 



Nest and eggs. Unknown. 



Distribution. N. Australia (Gould b I, Ramsay b 5); New Guinea (D'Albertis c 5); Am 

 ("Wallace d 1, d 2, Rosenb. e 5); Timorlaut (Riedel c 7); Amboina (fide Schlegel 

 c 5); Celebes: — Southern Peninsula (Teijsmann e 1, c7, Weber c 9), Northern Pen- 

 insula (Rosenb. c 3, c 4). 



This rare Heron was discovered in Celebes first by von Rosenberg at 

 Lake Limbotto in 1863 — 64, when be obtained a single example; subsequently 

 five specimens were collected by Teijsmann in tbe Macassar District, and three 

 (one adult and two young) by Prof, Weber in October, 1888, at Lake Tempe. 

 Teijsmann's specimens, which were described by Schlegel as a distinct species, 

 are held by Mr. Biittikofer on good grounds (c 7, c 9) to be the young of 

 Gould's Herodias picata. Prof. "Weber's acquisition of an adult specimen in 

 the full plumage of A. picata seems to prove the correctness of this view. 



Dr. Sharpe, who in his Catalogue of the Herons has overlooked Mr. 

 Biittikofer's reference to Prof. Weber's specimens, as well as giving a some- 

 what confused synonymy, takes a different view; according to this ornithologist 

 Notophoyx picata is one species, and the form with the under surface white a 

 second species, N. aruensis (Gray); North Australia is indicated as the habitat of 

 the former, and N. Australia to Aru and Celebes as that of N. aruensis (though, 

 if the synonymy were correct, many localities would have to be added to the 

 range of N. picata, and Celebes should be queried in that of N. aruensis). 

 Dr. Sharpe has examined and described a young example oi N. picata, and this 

 is different from the white-bodied N. aruensis, while the two specimens of the 

 latter in the British Museum do not appear to be immature; they are, there- 

 fore, held to be distinct. Seasonal and sexual (the female is undescribed) dif- 

 ferences — if any — are not taken into consideration, nor, in our opinion, is 

 sufficient room allowed for the supposition of immaturity, i. e birds in second 

 plumage. If Sharp e's view be correct, then both species, N. picata and aruensis, 

 belong to Celebes. Like Gould, Salvadori, and Buttikofer, we do not 

 believe them to be two distinct species. 



The Pied Egret is a well marked species, and its slaty black plumage with 

 white throat, neck and gorget easily distinguishes it from other Herons. Nothing 

 seems to have been recorded about its habits. In Australia it is only known 

 from the North; here Gilbert discovered it among the swamps near Port Essington 

 and found it in numbers on the islands in Van Diemen's Gulf From its dis- 

 tribution it appears to be rather of Papuan than of Australian origin. Celebes 

 marks its western bounds so far as is yet known. 



-^349. NOTOPHOYX NOVAE HOLLANDIAE (Lath.). 



White-fronted Heron. 



a. Ardea novae-hoUandiae (1) Lath., Ind. Om, 1790, H, 701; (U) Gould, B. Austr. 1848, 

 TL, pi. 53; (3) Pucher., Rev. Zool. 1851, 565; (4) Schl., Mus. P.-B., Ardeae, 1863, 



Meyer k Wiglesworth, Birds of Celebes (Deo. 'jth 1897). 103 



