THE CATTLE-EGRET. 251 



This Heron is entirely a sea-coast bird, being found singly or in small 

 parties on the shore or a short distance up some of the larger creeks. It 

 breeds from April to June, making a nest of sticks in a low tree on some 

 small island, and laying pale green eggs. 



Genus BUBULCUS, Pucker. 



616. BUBULCUS COROMANDUS. 

 THE CATTLE-EGRET. 



Cancroma coromanda, Bodd. TaU. PL Enl. p. 54. Buphus coromandus, Jerd. 

 B. Ind. ii. p. 749 ; BL B. Burm. p. 160; Hume $ Dav. S. F. vi. p. 481 ; Anders. 

 Yunnan Exped. p. 688 ; Hint/ham, S. F. ix. p. 197 ; Kelham, Ibis, 1882, p. 193. 

 Ardea coromanda, Hume, Nests and Eggs, p. 618. Bubulcus coromandus, 

 Salvad. Ucc. Born. p. 350 ; Hume, S. F. iii. p. 190 ; Armstrong, S. F. iv. p. 349 ; 

 David et Oust. Ois. Chine, p. 441; Legge, Birds Ceylon, p. 1147; Hume, S. F. 

 viii. p. 114 ; Scully, S. F. viii. p. 361 ; Oates, S. F. x. p. 243. 



Description. Summer plumage. The whole plumage white except the 

 head, neck, breast and dorsal plumes, which are a rich golden buff. The 

 feathers of the head lengthened, forming a bushy crest ; the dorsal plumes 

 reaching to the end of the tail, and the pectoral plumes lengthened. 



In winter the whole plumage is white and the dorsal plumes are cast off 

 or much reduced in length. 



Iris pale yellow ; eyelids yellowish ; bill, gape and facial skin orange- 

 yellow ; tibia and knee dusky yellow ; tarsus and toes greenish black ; 

 soles green ; in winter the bill is pale yellow. 



Length 2O5 inches, tail 3'4, wing 1O2, tarsus 3' 5, bill from gape 3. 

 The female is of the same size. 



The Cattle-Egret is abundant in all the plains of British Burmah, and 

 is a constant resident. 



It inhabits Southern China and Cochin China, the Indo-Burmese 

 countries and the whole of India and Ceylon ; it ranges down the Malay 

 peninsula and is met with in Java, Borneo, Celebes and the Philippine 

 Islands. 



This Heron is found in small parties in fields accompanying grazing 

 cattle, and does not much affect water or swampy localities. I have never 

 found its nest ; but in India it breeds in societies with other Herons, making 

 a stick nest in trees from April to July and laying four or five very pale 

 green eggs. 



