PLATE XYII. 



FAMILY ARDEID^E. 



THIS is a large and representative family found in every part of the globe. In Australia .representative 

 genera include the Ardea, Hcrodias, Nycticorax, Botaurus, Ardetta, etc. It is almost needless to say 

 they vary in size, in habits and economy, some being small, shy, and retiring ; while others are large and 

 fearless, loving exposed situations. Their chief food is such reptilian delicacies as frogs and newts, small 

 quadrupeds, fish, crustaceans, aquatic insects, and young water birds. Their nests are usually composed of 

 sticks, often placed in trees, sometimes on shelving rocks, at others on the ground. 



GENUS BOTAURUS (Stephens). 



T 1 1HE Bitterns are nocturnal birds, and are found in all parts of the world, both on the mainland and 

 in the islands. At night they may be seen skulking about marshes and the banks of rivers in 

 search of their prey — frogs, snails, water-voles, and insects, which constitute their food. Their days are 

 passed among the reeds, sleeping heavily. 



BOTAURUS POICILOPTJLUS (Wagi). 



A USTRALIAN BITTERN. Genus : Botaurus. 



THIS bird is generally distributed over Australasia where localities are found suitable to its peculiar 

 economy — that is, in that part of the river system where sedgy banks, marshy lagoons, and such 

 reed-like spots occur. In Tasmania, the well-watered features of the country make it especially the habitation 

 of the Australian Bittern, whose hoarse croak is tolerably familiar to settlers in secluded parts of the island. 

 The Botaurus melanotus of New Zealand is identical with this species. 



In its habits, economy, mode of flight, and actions it resembles the Botaurus steUaris of Europe ; 

 its large and membranous stomach is well suited to the nature of the food upon which it exists — fish, frogs, 

 newts, and all kinds of aquatic insects. 



The egg is rather corpulent, and the smaller end nips sharply off ; it is of a uniform light dull 

 colour. On examining the surface of the shell, numerous pin-point like indents will be observed, as if struck 

 longitudinally. Length, 2 inches; breadth, 1^ inches. (J. A. Campbell.) 



The only difference in the sexes is that the female is slightly smaller than the male. 



Head and back of the neck, purplish-brown ; back and scapularies, dark purplish-brown ; wings, 

 buff, conspicuously and largely freckled with brown ; ear-coverts, tawny ; throat and all the under surface, 

 deep tawny buff, with irregular markings of deep brown down the centre, giving the whole a mottled 

 appearance ; the brown colour, however, prevails on the lower part of the throat ; bill, yellowish-olive in 

 some, greenish horn-colour in others ; space round the eyes and legs, beautiful pale green ; irides, in some 

 yellow, lilac-red in others. 



Habitats : Gulf of Carpentaria, Rockingham Bay, Port Denison, Wide Bay District, Richmond 

 and Clarence River Districts, New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia and Tasmania, West and 

 South- West Australia, New Zealand. (Ramsay.) 



