^ A R I g gA RWT IR O S T R I S .
GjFj^jtt-billed Heron.
Ardea rectirostris, Gom&^n, E|oc. of Zool. Soc.,. Part XI. p. 22.
X)o4oo-muhg-a} AJ^rigines^of%ort Essington,
Maitch, Aborigwe&of Port Essington; McGillivyay. "
T bue& & part of Australia in ^whie^^l^^Kor3''bas been seen is the CobQurg Peninsula on the north coast,
where Mr. Gilbert found it breeding on the 5th of February. He states that it is solitary in its habits,
and he found in the moW seeVnde^ ^ e d k sm ^ ^ the open spaces among the mangroves. Mr.
McGillivray observed it at Port Essington, buf,cpjiil<| not obtain any information respecting it. A fine adult
specimen was procured by Dr. Sibbakl, R.N., and Mr. McGillivray was so fortunate as to kill a young
f i r d ^ ^ large mangrove swamp at the head of a bavB md Wan-man-mema: it was exceedingly shy and
^ a tcbf^Fo f his mpgpns,-and" be had great dil^lulfy%,.getting even- a long shot afcit/^^
-Ji J^p nest observed" by Mr. Gilbert was built in m.upright fork^^&la rge ;and lofty Melaleuca at about
eighty feet from the ground, and was formed f^^d u^e r layer o f very pfrong sticks, with a few small twigs
as a lining, and contained two eggs o f a light ash-grey«
The bird when discovered appeared very reluctant to leave the nest, and instead of the harsh croak
usually uttered by it, emitted'on this occasion a notendrapi oufe to afehnsiderablel length, and at times
resembling distant thunder, which was suddenly changed to a sound very like the groan of a person in
extremeago.ny.
Mr. Gilbert unfortunately failed in procuring the adults; and a young bird is all of this species contained
in my^collection: an adult male may be found in-that of the British Museum. */.'
’The stomach is membranous, and the foodfodhsisti of fish.
He^d, neck ag|;all the upper surface vinous b r p ^ f a few of f c f c ® feathers, Tyith^ J® ^ 0 e of wfiit|
down the centre, and the primaries and tail washed with g rey; white 5 frojJ|df the neek andjill i |e
under surface greyish brown, the lengthened plumes on the lower jpjfl o f l^ ^ c k a n d chest with a-, strips
of white down the centre; irides yellow^' bijtl'jblaekish brown }JS|basalhalf o f the lower mandible yellowish
yMte, apical half yellow$ legs and feet dark greenish g re y ; hinder part ofdhetarsi and inside of the feet
y e l& i s h grey.
The figure represents the adult about half the natural sizm