86 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 



most of the other Egyptian monuments, that is to say, none 

 at all. 



Our first sight ornithologically speaking, was perplexing, 

 for we passed some men carrying Greek Partridges and 

 Pheasants, where from I cannot say, but certainly not from 

 Rosetta, the locality given me. It was unfortunate that 

 the latter were soiled, for specimens of the true unmixed 

 breed are not easy to get in England. 



Let me here mention that there are two birdstufifers in 

 Alexandria, M.M. Piacentini and Mayer ; but the former had 

 no stock, and appeared to have almost given up the business, 

 (or the business to have given him up,) and the latter talked 

 of moving to Cairo, where I should think he might meet with 

 some custom from the numerous influential visitors who 

 take up birds for pastime or for study. 



It may also be serviceable to others to say that the 

 gunmaker is Mr. W. Redding, behind St. Mark's Church ; 

 and the gunmaker at Cairo, M. Cassegrain. They supply 

 fair powder at a price, and central-fire cartridges. 



The railway journey from Alexandria to Cairo was the 

 most interesting I ever made, for the line skirts Lake 

 Mareotis, and every moment I kept seeing some new species 

 of bird which I had never beheld in the live state before, so 

 that we laid the commencement of that long list of species 

 observed, which ultimately reached 223, — a number, I think 

 I may safely say, never surpassed by any other observer in 

 one tour in Egypt. 



This line was constructed in 1851, and was the finst rail- 

 way ever made in Egypt. Now there are railways to 

 Minieh, Damietta, Zagazig, and Suez ; and the Khedive's 

 engineers are even constructing one in Soudan. Formerly 

 it was all praise to him for his enterprizing spirit, but now 

 men begin to say that if he saps the public funds much 

 more, he will permanently diminish the country's resources, 



