WHITE-FEONTED HERON. 
Advlt male, in hreeding-'plumage. Upper-parts chiefly lead-grey ; crown of head and 
nuchal crest black ; hind-neck dark slate-grey ; mantle lead-grey, the feathers 
lanceolate in form, dark vinous at tips ; dorsal plumes, also lanceolate and 
much elongated, lead-grey ; bastard-wing and primary-coverts blackish ; primary- 
and secondary-quills plumbeous-grey, as also the tail ; fore-head, sides of crown, 
sides of face, and throat white — ^this colour extends in a more or less degree down 
the middle of the upper fore-neck ; feathers of the lower fore-neck lanceolate in 
form and vinous in colour, which extends over the rest of the under-surface ; 
axillaries uniform grey ; under wing-coverts also grey, some of the greater series 
inclining to white. Bill black, lores and base of upper mandible slate-colour ; 
base of lower mandible grey ; eyes yellowish-grey ; tarsi and feet oHve-yellow. 
Total length 600 mm. ; culmen 76, wing 325, tail 128, tarsus 100. 
Adult female. Similar to the adult male ; culmen 73, wing 305, tail 122, tarsus 100. 
The ornamental plumes on the lower fore-neck vary in colour on different 
individuals, being paler vinous in some and darker in others. In winter the 
ornamental plumes are lost and the back of the head is grey. 
Nest. Roughly constructed of sticks about 50 feet up, generally near water. Practically 
no lining is put in, so that the eggs are visible from below the nest. 
Eggs. Clutch, three to six ; uniform pale green ; axis 45-46 mm. ; diameter 36-37. 
Breeding-season. October (Dawson River, Queensland) ; September to January usually, 
but practically all the year round. 
Mr. J. P. Rogers found the bird common in the North-vrest of Australia 
and the Northern Territory. 
Captain S. A. White sends me the following : “ These very common 
birds are distributed all over Australia. They spend most of the day 
wading in the swamps in search of aquatic insects, crayfish, crabs, etc., 
and at night fly to the big gum-trees, where they roost. Their flight is a 
heavy, flapping movement, and when nesting they keep up a harsh cry on 
the wing and fly with their necks straight out. The nest is placed in a 
gum-tree, generally near water, and is a rough construction of sticks. The 
eggs are pale green, four being the usual clutch, but six is often seen ; 
both sexes take part in incubation. They nest early, and often bring up 
a second brood. They were found in company with Demigretta on \ the 
Capricorn Islands.” 
Mr. E. J. Christian says : “ This is one of our most useful birds, as 
it feeds chiefly on swampy places where the mollusc lives, upon which 
the enemy of graziers, namely, the fluke, is found. In the north of 
Victoria it leaves us in the winter and returns later on. It is a great 
destroyer of grasshoppers. I have counted 48 birds in one flock. It can 
often be seen round dams catching Yabbies (Crayfish). The Yabbies tunnel 
through the banks of the dams and so cause leaks, so by killing these pests 
the birds do an immense amount of good. 
“ They often act as sentries for" other birds, especially duck. I have 
noticed that when duck are feeding on the creek where they are concealed 
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