HERODIAS PICATA, Gould. 
Pied Egret. 
Ardea (^Herodias) picata, Gould in Proo. of Zool. Soc., Part XIII. p. 62 . 
Oo-le-huk-o, Aborigines of Port Essington. 
Examples of this species, not tlie least beautiful member of the tribe to which it belongs, have been sent to 
me by Mr. Gilbert and by Lieut. luce; they were all procured in the neighbourhood of Port Essington, 
where Mr. Gilbert states that it inhabits the inland swamps, and is usually encountered in small families 
often ill company with other species, but is not so abundant in the vicinity of the harbour as on the islands 
at the head of Van Diemen’s Gulf, where it appeared to be very numerous. 
The stomachs of those dissected were found to he capacious and membranous, and the food to consist of 
fish, aquatic insects and their larvm. 
I regret to say that nothing more is at present known respecting it. 
Upper part of the head, occiput, occipital plumes, the whole of the plumage of the body, wings and tail 
bluish slaty black ; chin, neck, chest, and some of the lanceolate feathers dependent therefrom, white ; some 
few of the lanceolate feathers on the neck and breast have one web white and the other web bluisb slaty 
black ; the remainder of these lanceolate feathers are the same colour as the body ; irides yellow ; bill, legs 
and feet greenish yellow. 
The young birds differ in having tbe whole of the under surface white. 
The figures are about the natural size. 
