_White Herons (Bufullel)._—The white heron differs from the garde bœufs[107]) ox-keepers; it is called bufula in the singular number; the garde bœuf is called by the Arabs Teer el bukkera, which signifies _the cow bird_, as the large red-spotted lizard is called Erdar el bukkera, because it sucks the cows’ milk. A person might, however, easily mistake the garde bœuf for the white heron, as I did once myself; having killed about a hundred at different times, I have often shot the former for the latter; the Arabs always persuaded me they were not the same; and in fact so I found, for I never saw a heron killed near a cow; they are found on the banks of rivers, where they feed on worms; at a distance of fifty yards, they are exactly the same in appearance; the heron, however, when examined, appears to differ in the colour of the legs, which are black, whereas those of the garde bœuf are yellowish, or brown: the heron has two long narrow feathers on the crown of the head, hanging over the neck; the garde bœuf has none: the heron has from twenty to a hundred aigrette feathers on its back; the garde bœuf has none. With regard to what is said in the note below,[108] it may be observed that the transposition or omission of one point or dot, in the Arabic language, is sufficient to make bufula, bukula; nay more, what is bukula in the west, is written the same in the east, and pronounced bufula, for the _k_ of the western Arabs is the _s_ of the eastern. But the curlew is called bukula, and the white heron, or egret, bufula in the east, as well as in the west. _The Bustard_ abounds in the provinces of Temsena, Benihassen, and Duquella; some are also found in Abda and Suse: being a shy bird, the Arabs approach it gradually, and in a circular line: when they reach within a hundred yards, they fall down, and creep along the ground gently till they come within shot. The flesh of this bird is much esteemed, and is considered an acceptable present by men of high rank.