320 ABDEIB^. 



Genus NYCTICORAX, Stephens. 



NYCTICORAX CALEDONICUS, Latham. 



Nankeen Night Heron. 



Gould, Hcmdhk. Bds. Aust., Vol. ii., sp. 557, p. 311. ^EOT / 



" The nest is a loose structure of a few sticks placed crosswise 

 over forks on the branches of trees overhanging creeks &c. ; the 

 specimens under consideration were taken by Mr. Alex. Morton, 

 from some low bushes on Schnapper Island, near Port Stephens, 

 they are two in number of a pale bluish-green, in length (A) 2*1 

 X 1-55 inches; (B) 2-1 x 1-47 inches in breadth." (Ramisay, 

 P.L.S., N.S. W., Vol. vii., p. 55.) 



Two nests of this species taken by Mr. K. H. Bennett in the 

 Lachlan River district in 1879, contained four eggs each, of the 

 same pale bluish-green colour, two average specimens of which 

 measure as follows: — length (A) 2-1 x ]-56 inches; (B) 2-15 x 

 1 '55 inches ; one in the Australian Museum Collegtion, taken on 

 the 30th of November 1880^ at Port Stephens, is smaller, 

 measuring 1-96 inch in length by 1-45 inch in breadth. 



Hob. Derby, N.W. Australia, Port Darwin and Port Essingtom, 

 Gulf of Carpentaria, Cape York, Rockingham Bay, Port Deriison, 

 Wide Bay District, Richmond and Clarence Rivers Districts, 

 New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, Tasmania, South 

 Coast New Guinea. {^Ramsay.) 



Genus BOTAUEUS, Stephens. 



BOTAURUS POICILOPTERUS, WagUr. 



Austrapllan Bittern. 



Gould, Randhk. Bds. Aust., Vol. ii., sp. 558, p. 313. XV/JT. 3 



This bird is found over the greater portions of Australia and 

 Tasmania. It resorts to the margins of lakes and rivers for the 

 purposes of breeding, where it constructs an open nest of reeds 



