HERODIA& SYRMA-TOPHORUS, Gould.
Australian Egret.
Heredias syrmatophorus, ( .uulilhufl’roi ufvZ^iifeni , [’Trt>JW
£Tiu-> nuhh *»pti n of Egret, the laigqs&nl rhugroup mli llnling W r t h i ,n - u'rv g(m rally dispersed over
ell puis jtLrfeJl. ijinthiuiitaand is ijpnllv to lie mi t wn h dung rhe rivers and lagoons o f the interior as well
; iu. , 1i1_ irlu d' i t li to a if s I li u r< 1« i si r n n ir th<|mohth of the H p ie r , but it is more
'jngfejfitlyj^el hnil on other rivi man. J ob-
■ serve'dSjt also in Van Diemen’s Lqiici in the vicinity ofi-treorge’s River, and the other unfrequented streams
stdSthe northward o f the island'.: The specimen from ^Hi,en*my drawing is taken, the acquisition of
»huh enabled me tlu. sift par®c’q ^ p % , was killeS^OnKe^n’d 'o f .January 1840, on the banks of
j-flu pVTokaMto ir Mr. I'hrJ^yfrup ,^Il is ot-an ixtu-mely sh\ iqd distrustful,disposition, ind.t in only be
. approacKe'd within range hy the. exercise o f fhe>tmosf?ar6 and caution. Its powers o f wing are consider-
iilih,, md like oilier Herons ffiopeasjipnaUy-perforiiis hiiigSri^niiurd Highr- at a great heifsbfiu the air; i|s
food,is'aIsq.of a similar character, consisting of ’fwh^frp'.ft&B^.iiii insects, &c. When on* the ground its
ssiiowyipluiii.igi p*esents a strong-and pleasing contrast to the green sedgy and other herbage clothing the
banks o f tlie’ rivers.
-T lM 'it ipndergpes seasonal jfhanges of plumage is evident, since I possess specimens, some of which are
il plumbSomtl» b.uk, as represented in "the 'Elate, while « f i b e r s they are
■entirely wanting, from which I infer; tK£t a.s*they all appear to be old birds, they have been killed at different
periods of the year, and that these or^piental'plumes are only oarried during the months of spring and
the "breeding-season.
' The4siSes'are precisely alike in external appearance, and both possess the-lengthened plumes during the
vernal season.
i,sg?Jie whole ofithe plumage pure whitej’ijid e s rich straw-yellow; nakqd;space before ani^}*hind-the eye
fihe’greenish yellow-;'hilVJieautifijl orangejjegs above the hni-i- ps^i^dnJ&sgjliw, which colohrfjs continued
duwii- tliq ccutrc of the- inner pant of the tar-i j i maindi r of the tarsi and1 feet black.
The Plate represents a' male abouftwo-thirds of the natural size.