376 BUFF-DACKED HERON. 



Sicily, Malta and Greece it is seldom found, though not infrequent 

 in Cyprus. Its only known breeding-haunts in Europe are in the 

 southern portions of the Spanish Peninsula, and from March to 

 autumn it is very common in the marshes of Andaluci'a, where 

 thousands may be seen amongst cattle or on their backs, picking 

 off ticks ; whence the name " Purga-bueyes," a corruption of 

 " Espulga-bueyes," meaning " cattle-cleaners," and also " Garra- 

 patosa," i.e., " tick-eater." It has occurred in Madeira and the 

 Canaries, and it appears to be resident in suitable localities from 

 Morocco to Egypt ; while southward, it is found in Arabia and 

 Persia, and over the whole of Africa, as well as in Madagascar. At 

 the Caspian we touch the western range of a closely-allied species, 

 A. coro/naiida, in which a rich orange-colour pervades the head and 

 neck ; and this representative extends across the warmer parts of 

 Asia to South Japan ; two examples of it are said to have been shot 

 near Turin in May 1S62, and one of them has been identified by 

 Prof. Giglioli. 



Like its congeners, the Buff-backed Heron breeds in colonies, 

 making a nest of dry sticks and twigs on tamarisk-bushes in swamps, 

 on trees, or sometimes in gardens. Mr. J. H. Gurney describes 

 a colony of about five hundred birds in the Faioum, the nests being 

 in a large bed of dead tamarisks, and from two to five feet above 

 the water ; but none of these contained young in June, while 

 many were in course of building. Mr. R. B. Lodge found eggs 

 in Andalucia on May 5th. The 3-5 eggs are very pale blue, and 

 rounded at both ends; measurements I'S by i'3 in. The food 

 consists of cattle ticks {Acari), beetles and other insects turned up 

 by the plough, grasshoppers, locusts, and frogs. The note may be 

 syllabled as gi-ah. In Egypt this species is often made to do duty 

 for the Sacred Ibis with the tourist, and is to some extent respected 

 by the peasants. 



The adult in summer has the crown, crest, fore nape, and the 

 plumes of the back and neck saffron-buff; the rest of the plumage 

 white, somewhat creamy on the wing-coverts ; lores, orbits, and 

 irides golden-pink ; beak reddish at the base, yellow at the tip ; 

 legs yellowish-red. Length about 20 in. ; wing 9 '5 in. The 

 female is rather smaller than the male, and her plumes are less 

 developed. After the autumn moult, and until the following 

 spring, the elongated buff feathers are wanting, and the bird is 

 almost pure white. In the young bird the skin about the base of 

 the bill is very dark ; the plumage shows little buff-colour, and the 

 legs are dull olive. 



