THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
5 feet 5J ; weight nine pounds. When fishing they catch fair-sized ones 
from 5 to 7 inches long, those that were lengthways soon were swallowed, 
those that got across the mandibles required more care and by opening and 
closing the bill and by sundry jerks they would be placed head first and 
then swallowed. During the intervals the bird would walk about, quietly, 
but when anything caught its eye it would indulge in a short run and then 
stop suddenly. When flying, the head, neck, and legs were stretched out 
to their fuU extent. They are a silent bird and their flight is slow and 
graceful ; taking from four to a dozen flaps, it holds its wings out and sails 
for a short time. It rises from the water without difficulty, and mounts 
high in a series of circles, but of not such size as one would expect.” 
Mr. F. L. Berney says the species comes to the Richmond district 
of North Queensland in the summer months, usually a few solitary birds, 
never more than two. 
“ While pursuing the fish it presents an extraordinary sight jumping 
along with great strides and assisting itself with its wings. It was repeatedly 
‘ jabbing ’ at the fish with its huge bill, and which it captured only after 
many attempts. It was far from a graceful performance.”* 
“ The Jabiru is very graceful ; its attitudes and bearings, whether in 
a state of repose, walking rapidly, or stalking gently over a lawn or yard 
with its measured, noiseless steps, have a combination of grace and elegance, 
and it displays an independence of manner well suited to a bird so wild and 
roaming in its habits . . . Although, when first seen, it has an uncouth 
appearance from the large size of the mandibles in proportion to the body, 
yet, on a closer aquaintance, its manner wins upon you, and a feeling of 
attachment arises towards it . . . It sometimes stands quite erect, or on 
one leg, with the other thrown out, or rests upon the tarsi like the Emu and 
Mooruk, and again upon one leg, with the bill inclined upon the breast . . . 
When the food is hard or gristly it is rejected and bruised with the point of 
the beak until it becomes sufficiently soft to be swallowed. It feeds generally 
in the mornings and evenings, and although the mandibles look so unwieldly, 
it picks up the smallest object with great readiness, and clatters them 
together with a loud noise when catching flies. It preens its feathers and 
removes any dirt or insects from them very neatly and gracefully by means 
of its bill . . . The Jabiru is partial to salt-water creeks and lagoons. It 
is usually seen in such localities on the Hunter, Macleay and Clarence Rivers, 
which consist, near the entrance and for some miles inland, of salt water 
with numerous sand-banks, where these birds may be occasionally observed 
busily engaged in fishing. The Jabiru was occasionally observed lying upon 
* Rogers, Emu, Vol. VII., p. 141, 1908. 
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