HERODIAS' r IMMACULATA, Gould.
Spotless Egret.
Heredias Immaculata, Gould m Proc. of Zool Sue;;' I8IG
Yd6-be.rukf Ahorigiin^f 1’iirt Essingtou. -
White Crane of fiie’Colomstsi ,
This Spotless Egret, which is a beautiful representative of the Herodias Garsetta o f Europe, is a native of
the northern jmition'of.Aiislr.Lli.i, and is extremely abundant in almost all parts of the Cobourg Peninsula,
both on the npiu si 1-I|| ai h nnl'irirrliïyait lulled put ' ol the harbour; it .also o ccp ^ ip all the neighbouring
swamps aiM'''lalies^^^0ii;C)ne occasion,” saysttVlr. Gil her I, 'I wilde, lying at anchor ilpVyp Diemen's Gulf,
about h a lf ƒ n p ^ rö n t j in isolated rock, covered with a stnntejJl pTaM^owIhgJfthin the crevices, I saw
these birds repairingjtEiJEer for the purpose o f roosting in'spch numbers, that in a very short time the
dark-coloured 'rqck assumed- an appearance o f snowy ythitehe'se, resembling in the distance, and partjeu-
1 l\»bv m umb-luXa.pile of snow; at the same‘ tmfe I'observed them in different parts «ff the harbour
cpngrêgatfil in^flocks, mid when seen perched unopithe branches overhanging the water, they greatly
resembled a floek ÖFCockatoóstp ‘|nt although theytare met w itk i^ j i c h numbers it is by no means easy to
’jifoeurc specimens, for|a more shy and wHry'jjirrtis scarcely Sobe found.
“ The stomach is membranous apd the.food consists 1
The sexes are precisely alike in plbufage, and both are adgyued with the long flowing plumes, which are
thrown off in the winter season.
jB ik e entire plumage of a pure and snowyVbitenessf irides yellow; upper'inaudible, half the lower man-
«lible uml apical-dark purplish'hlaek; base of the latter-dull yellowish grey »"«ere and orbits saflron-yetiow;
ife b la c k ish grey-^hmer side arid back o f the tarsi, anctytheSinder surface i^fthe feet siskin-green, •
."'The Plate represents male and female m'breedmg-pl(fin%c o f the size o f j t f g V *