45 
Colonists; “ Kotuku ” of the Maoris. (Case X. 
No. 14.) 
This beautiful Heron occurs so sparingly in most parts of 
New Zealand that “rare as a Kotuku” has passed into 
a proverb among the Maoris ; while in the North Island it 
is said to occur only once in a lifetime (“ He Kotuku rerenga 
tahi”). 
Sir William Fox has described a nesting-place of this 
species which he visited on the west coast; but unfortunately 
the persecuted birds have since quitted it, and, so far as is at 
present known, no heronry of a similar kind exists in the 
colony. 
2. Ardea sacra, Gmelin. Blue Heron. “ Blue Crane ” of 
the Colonists. (Case III. Nos. 7 and 12; Case X. 
No. 24 : adult male, female, and young bird.) 
Frequents the rocks under the sea-cliffs and the shores of 
the sheltered bays and estuaries. 
3. Ardea novjE hollandijs, Lath. White-fronted Heron. 
(Case X. No. 33.) 
Thinly distributed over both Islands, but rarer than the 
preceding species. 
Genus NYCTICORAX. (Cosmopolite.) 
Nycticorax caledOxNicus, Latham. Nankeen Heron. (Case 
X. No. 18.) 
A few specimens have been obtained in New Zealand, but 
these were probably stragglers from Australia, where the 
species is common. 
Genus BOTAURIJS. (All parts of the World.) 
Botaurus pceciloptilus, Wagl. Bittern. “ Matuku- 
hurepo ” (Case III. Nos. 13 and 15 : male and 
female.) 
Almost every country possesses a species of Bittern, and 
