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as the true Herons do : these active habits are, in fact, necessary to enable it to capture insects and 
crabs, upon which it mainly subsists.” 
In the Hairini bay, at Tauranga, I saw a pair of these birds on the flats just above the bridge. 
They stalked about with a loftier mien than Ardea sacra, and were readily distinguishable, even at 
some distance, by the lighter grey of their plumage *. 
The Blue Heron seems to prefer the rock-bound coast, springing from one jutting stone to 
another as it searches for its prey. The White-fronted Heron, on the other hand, is geneially to be 
seen on the hard sandy beaches and mud-flats within the river-mouths and estuaries. You will see 
him stalking about alone on the beach, as if for the mere pleasure of exercising his limbs ; then he flies 
off to a small rock standing out of the water and takes up a position for Ashing. He balances his 
body horizontally, holds back his head and watches ; then with the rapidity of thought he strikes 
forward, plunging his head into the water and bringing out a struggling victim. I have watched 
one thus engaged for a considerable time through a powerful binocular, and I have seen it catch 
minnows fully five inches in length, and in the intervals turn its attention to smaller fry, by snatching 
at flies or other insects passing within its reach. I have observed the same thing on watching some 
captive ones in the Acclimatization Gardens at Sydney ; for they were perpetually chasing flies and 
other insects that came within their enclosure. 
A pair of these birds which I obtained in the Porirua Harbour, near Wellington, in the month 
of April, had their stomachs filled with shrimps. 
It is strange that although the Blue Heron breeds freely on the small islands lying off the 
Bay of Plenty, this species is never found nesting there. This may, however, be due to the relative 
scarcity of the bird. 
“ Some nests,” writes Mr. Gould (Handb. B. Austr. ii. p. 299), “ I observed in the month of 
October 1838, on the banks of the Derwent, were placed on the tops of the smaller gum-trees, and 
most of them contained newly hatched birds. Mr. Kermode informed me that it annually breeds 
in the neighbourhood of his estate, near the centre of Tasmania. The nest is of a moderate size, 
and is composed of sticks and leaves. The eggs are four in number, of a pale bluish green, one inch 
and seven eighths long by one inch and a quarter broad.” 
* Mr. Edward Wakefield, under the toad of “ Soienco Gossip,” writes;— “ There is another bird, the White-fronted Heron 
{ArdM novee UTlanclim\ which is much rarer in Now Zealand than the Blue Heron, but which is, nevertheless, not only not 
unknown here, but fairly well known. It is only found by accident, as it were, here and there. It is not properly a New- 
Zealand bird at aU. It is a very common Australian bird, and is a mere passing visitor in this country. Still, it is a New- 
Zealand bird, in a sense, because it breeds here sometimes. But it is only very sparsely distributed on our coasts. A friend of 
mine at Collingwood, a digger, who knew a good deal about natirral history, told me that ho had observed these birds in the 
southern estuaries of Blind Bay for years, and gave me a description of their habits, which left me no doubt in my mind of the 
truth of his statements. I am quite prepared to admit, however, that tho White-fronted Heron is a very uncommon bird, and 
that is why I bring it into notice here. It is very like tho Blue Heron, except that it has a white forehead, space round the 
eyes and throat, and the colour of its plumage all over is ever so much lighter than that of the Blue Heron. To sum it up, I 
should say that Ardea mvee hoHandice is like a washed-out specimen of Ardea sacra.” 
Mr. 0. H. Eobson writes to mo from Portland Island I orrght to inform you that a peculiar-looking Heron comes to 
catch fish on some rooks at our landing-place, and I have a fine view of him from a cliff close to the house, about 250 feet high : 
he seems to mo much larger than either Ardea sacra or A, novez hollandice •, his head and neck are much darker than in those 
birds, being almost black, and, except a white line over the bill, there seems to bo no more white about him; the wings and back 
are a light slate-grey ; legs and feet yellow. I should think he must be quite 4 feet long. Do you know such a bird ? I shall 
make every effort to secure him. lu the mean time I study his habits with a good binocular race-glass. 
