BUTOEOIDKS. 321 



and other aquatic herbage, which is concealed by the rushes &c, 

 usually found growing in such localities. Eggs three or four in 

 number for a sitting of a uniform pale olive-brown. A specimen 

 in the Australian Museum Collection measures long axis 2 "09 

 inches, short axis 1*45 inch. 



Two eggs, taken in September 1860, from a lagoon near Fiery 

 Creek in Victoria, measure as follows : — length (A) 2-12 x 1-48 

 inches; (B) 2-11 x 1-48 inches. 



This bird breeds during September and the two following 

 months. 



Hah. Gulf of Carpentaria, Rockingham Bay, Port Denison, 

 Wide Bay District, Richmond and Clarence Rivers Districts, 

 New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia, Tasmania, 

 West and South-West Australia. {Ramsay.) 



Genus BUTOEOIDES, Blyth. 



BUTOROIDES FLAVICOLLIS, Latham. 



Yello^v-necked Mangrove Bittern. 



Gould, Eandhk. Sds. Amt., Vol. ii., sp. 559, p. 315. XVTTT ^ 



" The nest is a slight structure of sticks placed in a horizontal 

 branch over the water. Eggs three or four, they are white with 

 a very faint tint of green inside. A set taken by Mr. George 

 Barnard of the Dawson River, Queensland, measures as follows : 

 length (A) 1'88 x 1-38 inch; (B) 1-72 x 1-35 inch; (C) 1-8 x 1-33 

 inch. 



" I expected to find these eggs something similar to those of 

 5. macrorhyncha, taken by my brothers at Dobroyde in 1860-1-2, 

 but Mr. Barnard assures me there can be no mistake about them, 

 and sent me a skin of the bird." {Ramsay, P.L.S., N.S.W., Vol. 

 vii., p. 55.) 



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

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



XT 



