on some Australian bird types.



93



white plumes ; also for their eggs. Both of these species are more

abundantly distributed in the central and north-eastern districts.

An extremely useful bird is the White-fronted Heron ( Notophoyx

novce-hollandice), locally known in some parts of the State as the

“ Blue Crane,” for it destroys numbers of small land molluscs, one

of the intermediate hosts of duke. This species is sparingly dis¬

tributed around the neighbourhood of Sydney, frequenting trees

growing on river banks and the sides of creeks and dams. At

intervals along the rocky coast-line occurs, usually in pairs, the

Reef Heron ( Devuegretta sacra). Birds of both sexes may have the

entire plumage of slaty-black or white, and the two forms may be

found paired together. The Minute Bittern ( Ardetta pusilla) is

distributed, but in very limited numbers, over the greater portion of

New South Wales. It is more frequently met with in the coastal

districts, than in the dry, far inland parts of the State. Near Sydney

it occurs in the swampy undergrowth from Randwick to La Perouse,

and also in the Botany Water Reserve. Towering high above every

other species in this Order, is the gigantic Black-necked Stork

(Xenorhynchus asiaticus) or“Jabiru,” inhabiting the large Tea-tree

and other swamps of the northern coastal districts, its range extend¬

ing to India, whence came the type originally described by Latham.


Seventeen out of the nineteen species of the Order Cheno-

morphce inhabiting Australia, are found in the State. The well-

known Black Swan ( Chenopsis atrata ) is generally distributed from

the bays, estuarine areas, particularly if the latter are overgrown

with mangroves, to the reed-beds, cane-swamps, and lakes of central

and western New South Wales. The Semipalmated or “ Magpie ”

Goose ( Anseranas semipalmata ) is more abundantly distributed

inland, as is also the Maned Goose (Ghenonetta jubata), better known

in New South Wales, as in other parts of Australia, as the “ Wood

Duck.” It is from this Order that the chief supplies of edible

Waterfowl sent to the metropolis is drawn, but only a passing refer¬

ence to one or two of the more important can he made here. For

table purposes the more popularly known Black, or moi'e correctly

named, Brown Duck (Anas superciliosa) takes the pride of place,

followed closely, but of smaller size, by the Chestnut-breasted Teal

(Nettion castancum) and the more common species, the Slender or


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