HERODIAS JUGULARIS.
Blue Reef Heron.

Ardea jugularis, Forst. Icon. Ined., t. 114.

 

cerulea, var. Lath.

Matook, Vieill.

Herodias jugularis, List of Birds in Brit. Mus. Coll.,
Blue Crane, Colonists of Port Essington.

 

part ili. p. 80.

 

 

 

 

 

Tue Blue Reef Heron is universally distributed over the whole of the coasts of the great continent of
Australia, and is also found in New Zealand: the sea-coast is evident]
this bird to inhabit ; it especially loves to dwell on shores of

takes short flights to seaward, and returns again to

y the place destined by nature for
a rocky nature; and when disturbed merely
some prominent point, whence it can survey all around
and feel itself in security. Its food appears to consist of crabs and shelled mollusks ;
those dissected were very muscular, and contained the remains of both tho

the stomachs of
se kinds of animals; hence the
necessity for the powerful bill and peculiar structure of feet with which this bird is provided.

“This species of Herodias,” says Mr. McGillivray, “inhabits the islands of the north-east coast of
Australia and Torres’ Straits, and is abundantly distributed from the Capricorn group in lat. 23°30! S., as
far north as Darnley Island in lat. 9° 35'S. It procures its food at low water on the coral reefs sur-
rounding the low wooded islands it loves to frequent ; although generally a wary bird even when little
disturbed by man, yet on one occasion on Heron Island I knocked down several with a stick. The nest is
usually placed on a tree, but on those islands where there are none, such as Raine’s Islet and elsewhere,
it breeds among the recesses of the rocks; where the trees are tall, as on Oomaga or Keat’s Island, the
nests are placed near the summit; on Dugong Island they were placed on the root of a tree, on a low
stump, or half-way up a low bushy tree; they are shallow in form, eighteen inches in diameter, and con-
structed of small sticks and lined with twigs; the eggs are two in number, and of a pale bluish white, one
inch and seven-eighths long by one inch and a quarter broad.” Mr. Strange says, “I procured specimens
about ten miles north of Sydney Heads ; it appears to be strictly confined to the rocky cliffs and ledges of
rocks, where it takes great delight in allowing the spray to beat over it. It is very shy and wary, and never
stops long in one place.” In his notes from Port Essington, Mr, Gilbert states that “ it is abundant on
all the small islands and rocks immediately adjacent to the main-land. It is gregarious in its habits the
whole year round, for I remarked that it was congregated in as large numbers before as after the breeding-
season, which is the month of August. The nest is built of sticks on the ground, and is penicedly round
and from twelve to eighteen inches in height, with a considerable depression for the reception of the eggs ;
they are always placed in thickets or underwood, and as near oe outer edge of the rock as possible. On
one small rock I found at least fifty of these nests, some of which were so close as nearly to touch each
other. The eggs were sometimes two, and at others three in number.”

The sexes are so similar that dissection must be resorted to to determine the one from the other.

It will be observed that these statements are contradictory in some particulars, wbreh may perhaps be
accounted for by the habits of the bird being modified by circumstances, or the peculiar nature of the
situations in which they happened to be observed. — ae

Down the centre of the chin a line of buff in some, white in others ; the whole of the remainder of the
plumage dark slaty black, with a wash of grey on the lengthened eee - ot en
pendent from the chest ; bill pale dirty yellowish green ; lores dull oil-green ; tarsi ¢ ge pi apple
green ; soles of the feet dirty yellow. oe ee

The figures represent a male and a female about three-fourths of the natural size.

See oe ee

   

TTVATABIV TUPLE A VIVAL TTT