Birds of Celebes: Ardeidae. 
835 
Sharpe’s diagnosis applies equally well to Buhulcus when the birds are not in 
breeding plumage'). 
The I.esser Egret seems to be a fresh -water species, as its light structure 
suggests. Legge describes it as haunting paddy-fields, marshes and flooded lands; 
it is shy and very silent, and feeds mostly on fish. 
GENUS BUBULCUS Bp. 
The Cattle Egret differs remarkably in habits from the Egrets of the genus 
Herodias, being chiefly insectivorous in regard to its food; yet it is difficult to 
point to any strongly pronounced characters wherewith to distinguish it generic- 
ally as Buhulcus. Its hind toe with the claw is relatively longer than in 
Herodias and Hemiegretta being just equal to the inner toe without the claw; 
its bill is short, one-fourth the length of the wing, rather stout, the cutting edges 
terminally serrated, the ridge of the gonys about one-fourth the length of the bill 
from the gape (as against about one-third in Herodias). 
In plumage it is not perfectly white in non-breeding dress, but has the top 
of the head buff; and in breeding dress the filamentous plumes, besides being 
golden-tawny in colour, are of a different character from those of Herodias. 
355. BUBULCUS COROMANDUS (Bodd.). 
Cattle Egret. 
a. Le Crabier de Coromandel (I) Buff., H. N. Ois. (small fol. ed.) 1783, VIII, 226, pi. 910. 
b. Cancroma coromanda (1) Bodd., Tabl. PI. Enl. 1783, p. 54. 
After this article was written, Dr. Sharpe had the kind courtesy to send us some of the proof-sheets 
of his Catalogue of the Herons, wherein he handles this species in a manner differing in many respects from 
oui-s. Wliat we, like Legge, Salvadori, and others, regard as one species, Sharpe treats of as three, the 
birds of the Indian Region being Mesoplmjx intermedia, tliose of Africa M. hrachyrhyncha (Brehm), and those 
of the Australian Region 31. plumifera fGld.), the geographical dhiding lino between the last and the first 
beuig assumed to be between Celebes on the one side and Java and the Philippines on the other. We cannot 
decide to remodel om- work to conform with Dr. Sharpe’s touching 3f. intermedia and plumifera. As to 
whether African individuals are racially distinct or not, we have no opinion, but would only point out that 
the characters on which 31. 'brachyrliynclia is upheld are perhaps of a seasonal, evanescent natui-e : these are 
the ‘"yellow” (? yellowish; tibia, a yellow bill and a black patch (in skin) in front of the eye. Now Legge 
points out (see also our table under Buhulcus coromandus) that the tibiae of Ceylon birds are in breeding 
plumage yellowish brown (Dr. Sharpe wrongly says “entirely black like the tarsi and toes”); and two of our 
Celebesiau specimens with yellow bills have a blackish mark on the loral skin (perhaps a result of drying), also 
yellowish tibiae, and one is in partial breeding dress — tliis should be 3f. hrachyrhyncha! In the same way 
31. plumifera is allowed to stand as a good species by reason of its yellow (? yellowish broira) tibiae and 
yellow bill and facial skin when in breeding plumage. This form seems to us to be Herodias intermedia not 
yet in full nuptial dress, the black of the bill being, apparently, the last adjunct to the breedmg characters ; 
a specimen from Celebes in this dress is described above, but another from there in bleeding plmnage mth 
a nearly black bUl wiU be found mentioned. Moreover, in some of the Oriental countries H. intermedia is 
known as a migrant (for instance, in Palawan — according to AVhitehead), and we know of no proof as 
yet, even, whether the Australian bhds are not simply visitors to the country fi-om the north. It seems more 
likely that they are for tlie most part resident and fairly stationaiy; therelore, perhaps with racial distinctions, 
but, until tills is proved to be the case by sufficient specimens and observations, we prefer not to spht up 
II. intermedia as Dr. Sharpe has done. 
105 * 
