74 



AEDEID^ 



BUBDLCUS 



(B. Hamilton) ; Transvaal — Potchefstroom, February, March, July, 

 November (Ayres), near Johannesburg, rare (Haagner), Lydenburg 

 and Pretoria (Barratt), Klerlssdorp district (Holub) ; Bechuanaland 

 — Kanye (Exton), Tati, September (Oates) ; Ehodesia— Nata Eiver 

 (Penther), Upper Zambesi (Holub), Salisbury (Marshall) ; German 

 South-west Africa — Ondonga (Andersson), Boliva, June, Eeheboth 

 January (Fleck). 



Habits. — This Egret is essentially a gregarious bird, being found- 

 in flocks of from ten to fifty individuals. They are usually seen 

 in company with herds of cattle. They stalk about underneath the 

 oxen, sometimes jumping up to take a tick off their bellies, and 



Pig. 20. — Head of Buhulcus ibis, x | 



sometimes perching on their backs for the same purpose ; besides 

 ticks they obtain a good number of grasshoppers, beetles and other 

 insects, disturbed by the beasts. In the wilder parts of the country 

 they associate with buffaloes and elephants in the same way, and 

 their very conspicuous white plumage is often of assistance to the 

 hunter in locating his game. In the evening this Egret resorts in 

 large companies to the branches of small trees overhanging water, 

 where they roost, the same spot being constantly used for this 

 purpose. 



Mr. Harold Fry, of Johannesburg, found a nesting place of the 

 Cattle Egret on an island in the Vaal river near Parys, in the 

 Orange Eiver Colony, on November 17. There were about thirty 

 pairs occupying a large tree on the island, together with Goliath, 



