NORTHEEN YELLOW-NECKED MANGROVE-BITTERN. 
Immature female. Differs from the adult in being rufous-brown above, including the 
wings and back ; head, hind-neck, and sides of neck washed with rufous, the 
fore-neck and abdomen also rufous. 
Nest. A platform of fine paper-bark twigs, with the centre covered with finer ones in 
which there is a depression. The dimensions are 14 in. by 10, and almost 
six deep. 
Eggs. Clutch, two to three ; white, with a greenish tinge inside ; axis 45 mm., diameter 
35 (Queensland), 40-43 by 34 (Melville Island). 
Breeding-season. November ; December ; January (Melville Island). 
Mr. J. P. Rogers found these birds in the North-west of Australia and on 
Melville Island, Northern Territory, and he sent the nests and eggs from the 
latter locality. He says : “ Clutch two, were nearly hatched when discovered 
in December, 1911. The nest was built on a paper bark tree that had fallen 
into the creek, and which was still growing. The nest was placed on a stout 
three-pronged fork at a height of about two feet from the water, and was 
partly hidden by leafy branches.” Again, on 1st January, 1912 : “ Clutch 
three ; the nest was built in a paperbark tree overhanging the water ; it was 
placed on a stout fork and was a platform of paperbark twigs covered with 
a very fine layer of the same material, the whole nest was covered, not 
merely the centre, as the nest described above, the depression being very 
slight. Dimensions fifteen inches by twelve, by seven deep in the centre. 
This was much more bulky than any others seen. Again, on 7th January, 
1912 : “ This species was fairly numerous at the great swamp on the north 
side of the island. Although common, they were wild, and those shot could 
not always be obtained owing to the dense growth of sword-grass, etc.” 
For the time being 1 am considering the birds from North Queensland 
to the North-west of Australia as similar. 
The male bird described is the type of “ disneyi ” ; it was collected on 
Parry’s Creek, North-west Australia, on November 17th, 1908, by Mr. J. P. 
Rogers. 
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