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islands, covered with thick brushwood, which occur every here and there on the reef along the 

 coast. They certainly roost there, as towards sunset, and even after, parties of from two to 

 twenty individuals are to be seen wending their way out to sea in the direction of one or other 

 of these islands. Fong Island to the southward of Hivondrona, Prune Island to the northward 

 of Tamatave, and a small one near Fenerive seem to be the favourite spots resorted to by them. 

 The first-named must be at least eight or ten miles from the coast. I never had an opportunity 

 of visiting any of them — no easy task, by the way, on account of the heavy swell, which makes 

 landing dangerous, and sometimes impossible. I think they were breeding in September." 



Captain Rowland M. Sperling found the Buff-backed Heron plentiful at Zanzibar and 

 Mozambique, and adds that when they were about 150 miles from Madagascar many of these 

 birds, in breeding-plumage, flew on board. 



In Asia the present species extends only a short distance, being replaced in India, China, 

 Japan, and the Malay archipelago by a closely allied species, Ardea coromanda (Cancroma 

 coromanda, Bodd., Tabl. PI. Enl. p. 54, 1873), which differs in being rather larger in size, the 

 rufous portion of the breeding-dress being richer in colour, and the bare portion of the tibia 

 being considerably larger. Where the two forms meet it is impossible to say ; but, according to 

 De Filippi, Ardea bubulcus is found in countless numbers on the Murdab, an inlet of the 

 Caspian, close to Enzeli. 



In many respects the Buff-backed Heron differs not a little from its allies ; for although it 

 is found in marshy and wet localities, it is by no means shy or fearful of man, but, evincing 

 a partiality for inhabited places, it frequents pastures where cattle are grazing, and follows the 

 plough in flocks, in order to feed on the insects which infest the cattle and those which are 

 turned up by the husbandman. In the dry steppes it is often seen in vast flocks in places where 

 the locusts are found, and destroys vast numbers of those noxious insects. In the far interior of 

 Africa the Buff-backed Heron follows the herds of wild buffaloes and elephants, and may be 

 seen perched on their backs, as it often is in more civilized regions on the backs of the tame 

 cattle ; and being a conspicuous object on account of its white plumage, it not unfrequently 

 betrays to the hunter the position of the wild animals with which it consorts. In its flight and 

 general movements this bird differs but little from its allies; and, like them, it is seldom seen 

 except in larger or smaller flocks, being eminently gregarious in its habits. It may possibly 

 feed on fishes ; but if so, it is in exceptional cases, and not as a rule ; for its food consists almost 

 entirely of insects — to a large extent of the various parasitic species, butterflies, bees, beetles of 

 different kinds ; and it is said also to devour frogs, lizards, and small mammals. 



The call-note or voice of this Heron is described by travellers who have met with it as 

 resembling the bleating of a sheep ; but it is rather more hollow and deeper in tone. 



The Buff-backed Heron breeds in colonies often consisting of thirty or more pairs ; and the 

 nests are placed on trees, either near the trunk on the larger branches, or on the outer forks of 

 the upper boughs. Von Heuglin describes the nest as constructed of dry sticks and twigs, 

 tolerably large, but flat, and not very high ; and the number of eggs varies from two to four. 

 Specimens in my collection from North Africa are uniform pale greenish blue in colour, and 

 vary in size from lf£ by 1^- to lf^ by l-^§ inch. 



In North-east Africa it breeds about the time when the Nile overflows its banks ; and Von 



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