Order ARDEIFORMES Family ARDEIDM. 
No. 245. 
BUTORIDES STRIATA LITTLERI. 
NOETHERN MANGROVE-BITTERN. 
Butoeides jAVA^riCA LITTLERI Mathews, Nov. Zool., Vol. XVIII., p. 233, 1912 ; Cook- 
town, North Queensland. 
Butorides javanica littleri Mathews, Nov. Zool., Vol. XVIII., p. 233, 1912. 
Butorides striata littleri Mathews, List Birds Austr., p. 84, 1913. 
Distribution. North Queensland. 
Adult male. General colour above dark green, with coppery reflections on the upper- 
back in certain lights ; wing-coverts margined with rufous ; bastard-wing, 
primary-coverts and quills uniform dark green ; some of the inner primaries 
and outer secondaries fringed with white at the tips, the innermost secondaries 
fringed with rufous on the outer webs ; tail uniform dark green ; crown of 
head, a streak at the back of the gape, and the nuchal crest greenish-black ; 
hind-neck, fore-neck and entire under-surface of body ferruginous-brown ; 
middle of throat and fore-neck white, with dark brown spots, and fringed with 
bufl ; axillaries and under wing-coverts grey, the marginal coverts white tinged 
with buff. Bill black, lower portion of under mandible yeUow ; bare skin 
round the eye green, iris yellow ; tarsi brown in front, yellow at back. Total 
length, 440 mm. ; culmen 70, wing 188, tail 70, tarsus 52. 
AduU female. Similar to the adult male. 
Young. Distinguished from the adult by the rufous shaft-lines on the head, and the 
triangular-shaped white marks on the scapulars and wing-coverts. 
Immature (September). Is moulting into the adult-plumage, which is shown by the 
entire black head and nuchal feathers, and the feathers on the back. 
Nest and Eggs. Undescribed. 
“ Amongst the mangroves [Ripple Creek, Herbert River, North Queensland] 
I noticed a Butorides javanica flop like a Kingfisher from a bough into deep 
water, catch a fish, and return to its perch.”* 
The type bird described above was collected at Cooktown, North 
Queensland, by Mr. E. Olive, and kindly presented to me by Mr. C. J, 
Robinson. 
*Boyd, Aueir. Mm. Sp. Cat., no. 1, Vol. IV., p. 39, 1913. 
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