33 
Mr. S. S. Allen on the Birds of Egypt. 
These birds especially affect the society of cattle, and may be 
seen feeding about among the legs of the cows and buffaloes in 
the most fearless manner, like starlings in a flock of sheep, fre¬ 
quently perching on the backs of the lazy animals in the same 
way. The Arab name “ Abou Gerdan ” (father of flocks), the 
French “PHeron Garde-bceuf,” and the Latin specific appella¬ 
tion “ hubulcus ” all have reference to this marked peculiarity. 
Contrary to the usual custom of the Herons and Egrets, most 
of which are piscivorous, the “ Buff-backed ” does not feed upon 
fish, but upon the various kinds of insects, particularly grass- 
hoppers, which are so abundant in the rank herbage produced 
by the peculiar system of irrigation which obtains amongst the 
Arabs. They are consequently seldom seen near the water’s edge. 
About dusk they retire to the trees to roost; and though I have 
occasionally seen them in the date-palms, they generally choose 
the Sycamore, or wild fig-tree, for that purpose. 
It is frequently asserted that the Arabs consider this bird as 
sacred , and that killing one is looked upon as a serious offence; 
but I believe this is not the case, at least not in a religious 
sense. I have sometimes, on having shot one for a specimen, 
been reproached for so doing, much in the way that we should 
speak to any one who killed a robin; and I think that this 
more correctly represents the feeling on the point, although it 
is a hopeless task to try. to make an Arab understand anything 
of an abstract nature. 
During the winter the plumage of the Buff-backed Heron 
is of a creamy-white colour, with a small reddish-buff patch 
on the top of the head, the legs and feet being black. About 
the commencement of April, longer feathers, of a pale buff, 
begin to appear on the back, neck, and crest (the rest of the 
plumage remaining in statu quo). These continue to grow in 
length and deepen in colour until the end of May, by which time 
the summer dress is complete. At the same time the legs and 
feet change to a pale yellowish olive. The bill at all times is of 
an ochraceous yellow, and the irides vary in different specimens 
(probably according to age) from pale to bright yellow. The 
lore is greenish. The male is generally rather larger than the 
female, and the long feathers are a little more developed. 
VOL. v. d 
