MATHEWS— Birds of North and North-West Australia. 175 



Irides, scarlet; bill, slate colour, mottled with black as 

 far as the nostrils, above which it is black; lower mandible, 

 black at the base, slate colour at the point; naked skin of the 

 face and throat, black, except a superciliary stripe over each 

 eye and a triangular mark on the top of the head between the 

 eyes, the former marks being bright yellow, and the latter 

 blood red; feet and legs, black. 



They walk quickly through the water, with the bill a little 

 more than half under, and at each step sway from side to side 

 somewhat after the style of a sower. The mandibles are for 

 the majority of the time kept a little open. Their flight seems 

 heavy, particularly when turning. They are fairly silent. 

 The windpipe runs the length of the sternum, and turns and 

 then goes forward before entering the lungs. Wounded birds 

 while walking make about in the same way as they do when 

 feeding, constantly putting the tip of the bill down on the 

 ground. 



No. 418— $ . Length, 31 inches (21/10/86). 



79. Zenorhynciius asiaticus australis. Black-necked Stork. 



Mifsttria australis (Shaw). Trans. Linn. Soc. (Lond.), Vol. 

 V., p . 23, 18(10, New vSouth Wales. 



No. 174— 9 . (23/6/86.) 



Length, from tip to tip of wing, 6 feet 8 inches; from the 

 tip of the bill to the tip of the tail, 4 feet 1\ inches; from the 

 tip of the bill to the end of the toes, 5 feet 54 inches; weight. 

 9 lbs. 



Irides, fine yellow; eyelash, black; bill, black; inside of 

 the mouth, salmon colour, deeper towards the front; the skin 

 between the fork of the lower mandible, black, irregularly 

 marked with red, giving it somewhat the appearance of cuts; 

 legs and feet, coral red. 



When fishing they catch fair-sized ones, from five to seven 

 inches long. Those that were lengthways soon were 

 swallowed, but those that got across the mandible required 

 more care, and by the opening and closing of the bill and 

 sundry jerks they would be placed head first, and then were 

 swallowed. During the intervals the bird would walk about 

 quietly, but when anything caught its eye it would indulge in 

 a short run, and then stop suddenly. When flying the head, 

 neck, and legs are stretched out to their full extent. Thev 



