z^ 



BUFF-BACKED HERON. 



ARDEA BUBULCUS, Audouin. 



Ardea bubulcus, Audouin, Expl. Somm. PI. Ois. de I'EgyptCj 

 i. p. 298 (1825) ; Yarr. ed. 4, iv. p. 187 ; Dresser, vi. 

 p. 245. 



Egretta russata, Macg. iv. p. 474. 



Heron garde-bmuf, French; Garra patosa, Purgabueyes, 

 Spanish. 



This very beautiful little Hei'on is a very rare visitor 

 to our country. Mr. H. Saunders *, our most recent 

 authority, states that the specimen obtained near Kings- 

 bridge in October 1805, presented to and recorded by 

 Colonel Montagu, and now in the Natural-History 

 Museum at South Kensington, is the only authenticated 

 British-killed example known to exist. 



I have met with this species in great abundance in 

 the great marshes of the Guadalquivir below Seville 

 during the summer ; it breeds in that district in large 

 colonies amongst high reeds and bushes, and is con- 

 stantly to be seen amongst the herds of half-wild cattle, 

 very often perched upon the backs of the beasts, 

 searching for ticks, which seem to constitute if not the 

 principal, at least a very favomite diet of this bird. 



We found the Bufi'-backed Egret very common in 



* ' Manual of British Birds,' p. 3G3. 



