PLATE XVIII 



GENUS DEMIEGRETTA (Blyth). 



TO this genus belong the two Reef Herons, which were formerly included in the genus Herodias. Taking 

 D. jugularis as the type, we find that species of this bird are widely distributed over the coasts ol 

 the southern parts of the old world, and three species are found in North America. 



DEMIEGRETTA JUGULARIS. 



BLUE REEF HERON. Genus: Demiegretta. 



THE Blue Reef Heron is commonly found along the shores of the warm coastal waters of eastern 

 Australia, and has even been found as far south as within a few miles north of Sydney. This was 

 probably, however, an accident, as Wide Bay is the ordinary limit of its habitat. Nature has destined this 

 bird for a purely coastal life ; it particularly affects rocky shores, and if disturbed, merely takes short seaward 

 flights, returning to some prominent point whence it can survey everything around it, and feel secure. This 

 bird has a very powerful bill and peculiarly constructed feet, whose uses we discover when we learn that its 

 food consists of crabs and shelled mollusks. 



"This species," says Mr. Macgillivray, "inhabits the islands of the north-east coast of Australia 

 and Torres Straits, and is abundantly distributed from the Capricorn group in lat. 23° 30 v S., as far north as 

 Darnly Island in lat. 9° 35 v S. It procures its food at low water on the coral reef surrounding the >low-wooded 

 islands it loves to frequent. Although generally a wary bird even when little disturbed by man, yet on one 

 occasion on Heron Island I knocked down several with a stick. The nest is usually placed on a tree, but on 

 those islands where there are none, such as Raine's Islet and elsewhere, it breeds among the recesses of the 

 rocks. Where the trees are tall, as on Oomaga or Keat's Island, the nests are placed near the summit ; on 

 Dugong Island they were placed on the root of a tree, on a low stump, or half-way up a low bushy tree. 

 They are shallow in form, eighteen inches in diameter, and constructed of small sticks and lined with twigs. 

 The eggs are two in number, and of a pale bluish- white, inch long and 1^ inch broad." 



Strange says, " I procured specimens about ten miles north of Sydney Heads. It appears to be 

 strictly confined to the rocky cliffs and ledges of rocks, where it takes great delight in allowing the spray 

 to beat over it. It is very shy and wary, and never stops long in one place." 



At Port Essington, Gilbert found it to be " abundant on all the small islands and rocks immediately 

 adjacent to the mainland. It is gregarious in its habits the whole year round, for I remarked that it was 

 congregated in as large numbers before as after the breeding season, which is the month of August. The 

 nest is built of sticks on the ground, and is perfectly round, and from twelve to eighteen inches in height, 

 with a considerable depression for the reception of the eggs. They are always placed in thickets or 

 underwood, and as near the outer edge of the rock as possible. On one small rock I found at least fifty of 

 these nests, some of which were so close as nearly to touch each other. The eggs were sometimes two, and 

 at others three in number." 



The sexes can be distinguished only by dissection. 



Down the centre of the chin a line of buff in some, white in others ; the whole of the plumage 

 dark slaty-black, with a wash of grey on the lengthened scapularies, and the lanceolate feathers pendant from 

 the chest ; bill, pale dirty yellowish-green ; lores, dull oil-green ; tarsi and tibiae, pale or apple-green ; soles 

 of the feet, dirty yellow. {Gould.) 



Habitats : Port Darwin and Port Essington, Gulf of Carpentaria, Cape York, Rockingham Bay, 

 Port Denison, Wide Bay District. (Ramsay.) 



