ARDEA LEU^OPI I iEA, Gould.
Australian J
Ardea leucopluea, Go u ^ ^ fc ro q fp ^O T So c ., May 9, 18£8'/
During m^j6i||neyiiito in, 1839.1 saw a fine adult example of this beautiful
Heron, but although I resorted to every possible-stratagem in myposyer to get within shot of it, I regret to
say I was unsuccessful; *1 havesince, however, r e c c e d a s k ^M e c t from New South Thales, which enables
me to include a figure of it in the present work, and I have also seen several examples from India, whence'
£1$ may infer that it extends its range^rQ^rtbaf e ^ u j i tm i h j ^ g ^ ^ h e islands to Australia.
Having carefully compared examples of this species with the Common Heron of Europe, I find it differs
from ^ a t bird in being o f a larger size in all its admeasurements, and that the line of the bill instead ofr
-beinglstraight has an upward t^h.fepv-^jm other respects they are very similar.
Forehead au^^pper port^^^o^^m^^cr.est^hite; sides of the head and lower portion of, the crest deep
"g l^&jb^ ck; neck white, $®ftp|| -with v lnfm and with a series o f lanceolate- marlfs' of black disposed
alternately down the front • all the upper surface, wings and tail dark grey, the lanceolate feathers of. the
back fading into white; edge ^ ^ M V p g g huffy whi^ -^ ^ a r ie s^ n d secondaries dark slate-colour; flanks
and1" under surface of chest and abdomen^^^^separated from the grey o f the flanks by a
series o f black feathers ;^ideri|^il-coverts and th ig | sA ^ ^ S b |P yellow ;
The young differs in having the whole o f the crown o|j the head^black; all the upper surface greyish'
brown; and thpunder ^urface striated with brown and white., -
The Plate represents an old and a, young bird abput^half the natural size.