376 BUFF-BACKED HERON. 
Sicily, Malta and Greece it is seldom found, though not infrequent 
in Cyprus. Its only known breeding-haunts in Europe are in the 
southern portions of the Spanish Peninsula, and from March to 
autumn it is very common in the marshes of Andalucia, where 
thousands may be seen amongst cattle or on their backs, picking 
off ticks; whence the name “ Purga-bueyes,” a corruption of 
‘* Espulga-bueyes,” meaning “cattle-cleaners,” and also ‘ Garra- 
patosa,” z.¢., “ tick-eater.” It has occurred in Madeira and the 
Canaries, and it appears to be resident in suitable localities from 
Morocco to Egypt; while southward, it is found in Arabia and 
Persia, and over the whole of Africa, as well as in Madagascar. At 
the Caspian we touch the western range of a closely-allied species, 
A. coromanda, in which a rich orange-colour pervades the head and 
neck ; and this representative extends across the warmer parts of 
Asia to South Japan ; two examples of it are said to have been shot 
near Turin in May 1862, and one of them has been identified by 
Prof. Giglioli. 
Like its congeners, the Buff-backed Heron breeds in colonies, 
making a nest of dry sticks and twigs on tamarisk-bushes in swamps, 
on trees, or sometimes in gardens. Mr. J. H. Gurney describes 
a colony of about five hundred birds in the Faioum, the nests being 
in a large bed of dead tamarisks, and from two to five feet above 
the water; but none of these contained young in June, while 
many were in course of building. Mr. R. B. Lodge found eggs 
in Andalucia on May sth. The 3-5 eggs are very pale blue, and 
rounded at both ends; measurements 1°8 by 1°3 in. The food 
consists of cattle ticks (Acar7), beetles and other insects turned up 
by the plough, grasshoppers, locusts, and frogs. The note may be 
syllabled as gvah. In Egypt this species is often made to do duty 
for the Sacred Ibis with the tourist, and is to some extent respected 
by the peasants. 
The adult in summer has the crown, crest, fore nape, and the 
plumes of the back and neck saffron-buff; the rest of the plumage 
white, somewhat creamy on the wing-coverts ; lores, orbits, and 
irides golden-pink ; beak reddish at the base, yellow at the tip; 
legs yellowish-red. Length about 20 in.; wing 9°5 in. The 
female is rather smaller than the male, and her plumes are less 
developed. After the autumn moult, and until the following 
spring, the elongated buff feathers are wanting, and the bird is 
almost pure white. In the young bird the skin about the base of 
the bill is very dark ; the plumage shows little buff-colour, and the 
legs are dull olive. 
