818 Birds of Celebes: Ardeidae. 



28; (5) Gld., Hb. B. Austr. 1865, H, 299; (6) Pelz., Ibis 1873, 120; (VII) Buller, 

 B. N". Zeal. 1873, 231, fig.; (8) Rchw., J. f. O. 1877, 263; (9) Rams., P. Z. S. 

 1877, 341; (10) Salvad., Om. Pap. 1882, lH, 342; (11) Meyer, Ztschr. ges. Om. 

 1884, 196, 216; (12) Sclat., P. Z. S. 1887, 319; (13) Rams., Pr. L. Soc. N. S. W. 

 1887, 172; (U) Buller, B. N. Zeal. V'^&A. 1888, H, 134; (15) Rams., Tab. List 18'>8, 

 21; (16) Pelz., Ann. Nat. Hofmus. Wien 1888, 54; (17) Cox &Hamil., Pr. L. Soc. 

 N. S. W. 1889, 420; (18) North, t. c. 1025; (19) id., Nests & Eggs B. Austr. 

 1889, 318; (20) Tristr., Cat. Coll. B. 1889, 54; (21) Salvad., Agg. Orn. Pap. 

 1891, 205; (22) Hartert, Kat. Senckenb. Mus. 1891, 202; (23) Wiglesw., Av. 

 Polyn. 1S92, 67; (24) North, Pr. L. Soc. N. S. W. 1893, 238; (25) Biittik., 

 Zool. Erg. Weber's Reise 1893, m, 306; (26) M. & Wg., Abb. Mus. Dresd. 

 1894, Nr. 4, p. 3; (27) iid., ib. 1895, Nr. 8, p. 18; (28) Hart., Nov. Zool. 1896, 

 565, 598. 



b. Herodias novae-hoUandiae (1) Gray, List Grallae Br. Mus. 1844, 80; (2) E. L. & L. C. 



Layard, Ibis 1882, 531, 544. 



c. Demiegretta novae-hoUandiae (1) Gray, HL. 1871, III, 28; (2) Meyer, Verb. z.-b. Ges. 



Wien 1881, 767. 



Notophoyx novae hollandiae (1) Sbarpe, Cat. B. 1898, XXVI, 109. 



For further synonymy and references of. Salvad. a 10. 



Figures and descriptions. Gould a 11, a 5; Buller a VII, a 14; Schlegel a 4; Salvadori 

 a 10; Sbarpe 1. 



Adult. General colour cinereous; forehead, face, chin and upper throat white; the 

 rest of bead above, ear-coverts, neck and uj)per surface dark cinereous, the 

 occipital feathers lengthened (about 40 — 50 mm), the scapulars lengthened and narrow, 

 wing-coverts washed with brown; remiges and tail-feathers slaty, the lateral tail- 

 feathers browner; under jjarts, including lower fore-neck and elongated pectoral 

 feathers, vinous grey; under wing-coverts paler, the longest and the axillaries wliitish; 

 bill blackish, base of under mandible yellowish; "iris whitish yellow; legs yellow" 

 (P. & F. Sarasin); wing ca. 300 — 330 mm (tips of longest quills broken off in this 

 specimen); tail 140; tarsus 96; mid. toe with claw 69; exposed cubnen 84 (Q, Kema, 

 20. Oct. 1893: P. & F. Sarasin). 



Male. According to Gould (a II), it is a Httle larger than the female. 



Young. '-Differs from the adult in having more wliite about the head and neck, and a darker 

 tinge of brown on the under parts; the dorsal plumes, moreover, are scanty, and the 

 delicate purplish tint on the breast is altogether wanting" (Buller a 14). 



Eggs. 4; uniform pale bluish gi-een; size 50 — 53 X 34 — 35.5 mm (North a 19). 



Nest. Of sticks and leaves in the topmost branch of a tree overhanging a river or dam 

 (North a 19). 



Breeding season. "Commences in September and continues during the thi'ee foUovring months" 

 (North a 19). 



Distribution. Australia and Tasmania (Gould a II, Ramsay a 15, etc.); New Zealand 

 (Buller a 14'; Norfolk Id. (Metcalf a 24); New Caledonia (Layard, etc. a 10, 

 b 2, 1); Loyalty Is. (Lay. a 20); Painiasia — ?New Guinea, Aru, Kei (fide Salvad. 

 a 10); Timorlaut (Riedel all); Timor (S. Mliller a 4, Wallace a 70, 1); Flores 

 (Weber a 25); Sumbawa (Forsten a 4); Sumba (Riedel c 2); Lombok (Doherty 

 and Everett a 28); ? Java (a 10); Moluccas — Manawoka and ? Goram (Rosenb. 

 a 10); North Celebes — Minahassa (P. & F. Sarasin). 



The White-fronted Heron is a recent addition to the Celebesian avifauna, 

 being one of the discoveries of the cousins Sarasin, who obtained the adult 



