THE BIRDS OF AUSTRALIA. 
line from the middle of the chin, throat, and fore-neck composed of dark edged 
feathers on the chin and throat, while those on the fore-neck are dull chestnut, 
a dark patch on each side of the breast where the feathers are margined with 
bufi ; the elongated plumes on the lower-breast and sides of the body have 
dark longitudinal shaft-streaks ; abdomen and under tail-coverts silky-white, 
like the axillaries and under wing-coverts, the latter washed with buff ; under- 
surface of quills slaty-grey. Bill yellow, culmen black ; eyes bright yellow, legs 
and feet yellow. Total length, 310 mm. ; culmen 44, wing 130, tail 43, 
tarsus 42. 
Adult female. Similar to the adult male. 
Immature. Crown of head black, the feathers on the fore-head dark brown ; sides 
of the crown, as also the nape, rich chestnut, ear-coverts inclining to sandy- 
buff ; middle of throat and fore-neck white, streaked with black and washed 
with buff, becoming darker and inclining to chestnut on the neck-frill ; back 
and scapulars blackish with buff margins, the edges paler and wider on the 
wing-coverts, marginal wing-coverts chestnut ; bastard-vdng, primary-coverts 
and quills black, margined and tipped with chestnut ; a black patch on the 
breast and the feathers margined with ochreous-buff ; axillaries white, like the 
under wing-coverts, the upper ones washed with buff. 
Younger ones than the above, with down still adhering to the feathers of the 
head, are almost similar, but everywhere darker. 
Nest. “ An open structure, composed of dead leaves of aquatic plants, and grasses 
and herbage growing about the swamp, and fastened to several reeds just 
above the surface of the water ” (Evered). 
Egrgs. “ Clutch four, oval in form and pure white, the texture of the shell being 
very fine and the surface dull and lustreless. Axis, 29-32 mm. ; diameter, 
24-25.5.” (North.) 
Breeding-season. November (Evered, New South Wales) ; November (Hill, Guildford, 
West Australia). 
“ I AM happy to report that this beautiful little species is still plentiful in 
the neighbourhood of Cleveland Bay and also in the Herbert-river district 
[North Queensland] ; from both places I have received specimens . . . 
I observed no difference in plumage or size in the northern Queensland 
specimens and those shot near Sydney.”* 
“ 28/11/03. — ^Nest with three fresh eggs in rushes on river ; nest 
consisted merely of a handful of fragments of rushes, and fell to pieces on 
being removed . . . 30/11/03. — Flushed bird at same place; discovered 
another egg on ground close by where the nest had been.”t 
“ It frequents the reeds, rushes and other aquatic herbage found about 
swamps, reed-beds, dams, and lagoons, also the dense thickets and rank grass 
beds fringing the sides of rivers and creeks. It is shy and seclusive in habits, 
and trusts to crouching down to conceal itself if observed rather than to 
seek refuge in flight, generally being met with singly, and less frequently in 
pairs. It is difficult to flush, so much so that it is often caught by dogs or 
* Ramsay, Proc. Zool. Soc. (Lond.) 1877, p. 343. 
t Hill, Emu, Vol. III., p. 229, 1904. 
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