the Birds of Cyprus. 343 



183. Common Heron. Ardea cinerea. 



Occasionally observed^ but not abundant. Cf. Guillemard, 

 Ibis, 1888, p. 110, and Unger and Kotschy, op. supra cit. 



184. Purple Heron. Ardea purpurea. 



Very common in the marshes in April and May, and fre- 

 quently met with in wheat-fields. *. 



185. Great White Heron. Ardea alba. 



Cf. Unger and Kotschy, oj). supra cit. We did not obtain 

 this bird in Cyprus, but my Spanish companion, who is well 

 acquainted with all the common marsh-frequenting birds of 

 Andalucia, assured me that he saw three snowy- white 

 Herons at the Akrotiri salt lake on April 15, 1875, of at 

 least twice the size of A. garzetta, with which species he was 

 very familiar on wing, and still more so " in the flesh. ^^ 



186. Little Egret. Ardea garzetta. 



I only find one reference to this species by Guillemard 

 (cf. Ibis, 1888, p. 113), and it is not included in Unger and 

 Kotschy's list, but I often met with it in the south of Cyprus, 

 and have a note of one flying over the yacht just as we dropped 

 anchor for the first time in Cyprian waters in the Bay of 

 Episkopi on April 15, 1875. *. 



187. Buff-backed Egret, Ardea bubulcus. 



The most common Ardea of Cyprus in April and May. 

 Soon after '' making the land " of Cyprus on our voyage 

 from Crete, on the morning of April 14th, we were boarded 

 by three of this species, a Wheatear, two Hoopoes, and a 

 Short-eared Owl, all evidently nearly tired out by their cross- 

 ing from the African coast. On the previous day, before 

 sighting land, we had passing visits from a Common Red- 

 start, several small Warblers, Hoopoe {Motacilla fiava) , and 

 a large Falcon, which, though it was too late to identify him 

 positively, I believe to have been Falco sacer. *. 



188. Squacco Heron. Ardea comata. 



Tolerably frequent, but not so common in Cyprus in April 

 as it is in the marshes of Epirus, *. 



