HERODIAS PLUMIFERUS, Gouwid. 
Plumed Egret. 
Herodias plumiferus, Gould in Proc. of Zool. Soc., November 23, 1847. 
No one of the members of the beautiful genus Herodias is more interesting than the present species, inas- 
much as it is not only adorned with the redundance of graceful plumes springing from the back, common to 
the other species, but it has a mass of feathers of precisely the same structure depending from the lower 
part of the neck and the chest. In size it is directly intermediate between H. syrmatophorus and H. imma- 
culata. 1 possess a specimen from the Namoi, in the southern part of Australia, and another from the north 
coast; and Ihave also a third from Torres Straits, which proves that its range is very extensive; the latter 
example is destitute of the lengthened plumes, which are probably only assumed during the breeding-season. 
The entire plumage is pure white; bill and orbits yellow ; feet and lower part of the tarsi black; upper 
part of the tarsi inclining to flesh-colour. 
The figure is somewhat under the natural size. 
