V 



Order GEALL^.] 



[Fam. AUDEID^ 



AEDEA SYEMATOPHOEA. 



(WHITE HERON.) 



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Ilerodias flavirostris^ Gray, Voy. Ereb. & Terror, Birds, p. 12 (1843). 



Herodias syrmatophorus^ Gould, B. of Austr, vi. pi. 56 (1848). 



Ardea alha, Ellman, Zool. 1861, p. 7469. 



Ardea flavirostris^ Gray, Ibis, 1862, p. 235. 



Herodias alha^ Gould, Handb. B. of Austr. ii. p. 301 (1865). 



Ardea intermedia., Finsch, J. f. O. 1867, p. 332. 



Native name, — Kotuku; "White Crane" of the Colonists 



Ad. iibique alba : scapularibus plumis elongatis filamentosis ornatis : rostro Isete flavo : pedibus nigris : iride flava. 



Adult. The whole of the plumage snowy white. Irides yellow; loral skin greenish yellow; bill bright 

 yellow, with a polished surface, sometimes inclining to brown towards the point of the upper mandible ; 

 legs black, tinged on the tibia and tarsal joints with yellow. Length 40 inches; extent of wings 51 "5 ; 

 wing, from flexure, 17; tail 7; bill, along the ridge, 5, along the edge of lower mandible 6*5; bare 

 tibia 4 ; tarsus 6*25 ; middle toe and claw 4' 75 ; hind toe and claw 2*6. 



I 



Obs. This species exhibits considerable variation in size. A specimen obtained by Mr. Travers in the South 

 Island has the bill longer and more robust than in ordinary examples, while'the legs are remarkably 

 short as compared with others, the tarsus measuring only 5 inches in length. 



Remarks, The fully adult bird of both sexes has the back adorned by a number of long filamentous plumes, 

 which have their origin near the roots of the scapulars ; but I suspect that this is peculiar to the summer 

 plumage, inasmuch as apparently adult birds are sometimes met with entirely devoid of this adornment. 

 The plumes are about 15 inches in length, extending fully three inches beyond the tail; and they consist 

 of a rigid tapering shaft, with lateral filaments of extreme fineness, placed about half an inch apart, 

 being, for the most part, five inches in length, but becoming shorter towards the extremity of the shaft. 

 The whole of this ornamental plumage is, like the body, pure white. In some examples (either females 

 or immature birds) these dorsal plumes are very much reduced, a few of the feathers forming the mantle 

 having their shafts produced as far as the end of the tail and furnished with loose filamentous barbs. 



As already stated, the bill is of a rich yellow eolour. I have never seen a specimen with a black 

 bill, although I have examined scores obtained at all seasons of the year; and I do not believe that any 

 seasonal change of colour ever takes place, in which respect our bird appears to differ from the other 

 closely allied species. My friend Dr. Finsch first of all referred it to Ardea intermedia, then to A. alba, 

 and lastly to A, egretta, and although it may ultimately be found necessary to sink the species, I have 

 thought it better, for the present, to keep it distinct. Mr. Gould, in surrendering his own appellation 

 of syrmatophorus, quotes Blyth^s remarks on the subject (Ibis, 1865, p. 36) ; but I am informed by 

 Mr. Blyth himself that in the Indian bird the change in the colour of the bill, from yellow to black, 

 and vice versdy always takes place with the change of season. 



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