H E R O D l A f : PICATA, Gould.
Pied Egret.
Afdea (Merodias§ picata, G^^fe^ifpo. of Zool. I jg g Part XIII. p. 62;
®.oiU-lu%-o, iSojrigineSs Essington. ’ ;
E xamples o f this species, not the least beautiful member o f the tribe td wbiOhdtbelongs, have been sent to
me by Mr. Gilbert ajpjtf^by Lieut. Ince*;^^p^were all procured in tb^^^bbourbqbd, o f Port Essington,
where' M ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ s ta t e s that it inhabits th^mjand. swamps, and is usually encountered in small famrlfp«
»ffenrin coinpany with other species, but is not so abundant in the jicinitytof the harbour as on the islands
at the head1 o f Van Diemen?s Gulf,where it appeared to be very numerous.
The stomach^pf; those dissected were found to be capacious and membranous, and the food to consist of
fisfh, aquatic insects and their larvje.
I regret to say. that nothing more is at present known respecting it.
Upper part o fth e h e ad , Occiput, occipital plumes, the whole o f the plumage o f the body, wings and tab
bluish slaty black; ghin, neck, chest, and somqof the lanceolate feathers dependent therefrom, white; some
few o f1 the lanceolate feathers on the neck and breast have one web white and the other web bluish slaty
bla ck; the remainder of these, lanceolate feathers, are die same colour as the body; irides yellow ; Bill, legs
and feet greenish yellow.
The young bird's differ mhaymg the wh oleof the under surface white.
The figures are about the natbral size.