BUFF-BACKED EGRET. 13? 



tion to the British Museum. " It was shot near 

 Kingsbridge, in Devonshire; had been seen for 

 several days in the same field, attending some 

 cows, and picking up insects, which were found 

 in its stomach." The attendance on cattle is a 

 curious habit in some of the Egrets, without doubt, 

 on account of the insects that abound near them ; 

 in India, for this reason, some have received a pro- 

 vincial name, signifying " Cow or Cattle Heron." 



The Asiatic continent, from every authority, 

 would seem the most abundant locality, or rather 

 the real country of this bird ; Upper Hindostan,* 

 the Dukhun,f Java,J isles of Sunda, Japan, || 

 Himalaya and Nepaul, are all given as countries 

 from where it has been received. 



In the adult birds, the feathers, at the roots, are 

 pure white, but on the head, neck, and breast, with 

 the elongated feathers on the back, are of an orange 

 or saffron-yellow ; the remaining parts of the bird 

 are pure white ; the bill and legs are yellow, the 

 joints of the latter and the toes darker. 



Montague's young specimen is described by him 

 to be in " length about twenty inches ; the bill 

 two inches long to the feathers on the forehead, 

 and of an orange-yellow. The whole plumage 

 snowy white, except the crown of the head, and 

 the upper part of the neck before, which are buff. 

 Legs three inches and a-half long, and one inch 

 and a-half of bare space above the knees ; these 



* Major Franklin. f Colonel Sykes. J Horsfield. 



H Temminck. Gould. 



