126 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 



1769. My references are to the English edition, which has 

 a different pagination from the original. Nearly half the 

 book is about the Natural History of Egypt, and thirty- 

 five birds are enumerated with remarks. His letters (re- 

 printed from the Literary News of Stockholm,) extend from 

 the spring of 1750 to the spring of 175 1, during all which 

 time it is believed he was either at Alexandria or Cairo. 

 They are full of references to Natural History, He died at 

 Smyrna on the 9th of February, 1752, and to Linnseus the 

 Queen of Sweden committed the task of arranging and 

 publishing his notes. 



The title of Savigny's work is " Explication Sommaire 

 des Planches dont les dessins ont ete fournis par I. C. Savigny 

 pour I'histoire naturelle de I'ouvrage — Oiseaux de' I'Egypte 

 et de la Syrie — par Victor Audouin." I learn from the 

 preface that some of the drawings are by M. Pretre, the rest 

 by M. Savigny, and that the letterpress is by M. Audouin, 

 assisted by M. Payrandeau (cf, p. 286). It appears that 

 M. Savigny was unable — owing to illness — to complete his 

 work, but as Government required its publication, the 

 Minister of the Interior assigned the office of editor to 

 M. Audouin, Savigny's former pupil. 



Sonini's "Travels in Upper and Lower Egypt," 1799, 

 can hardly be called an ornithological book, though a great 

 many notes on birds are scattered through his three volumes. 

 The accuracy of some of his remarks, as that on the flight 

 of the Pelican, I can fully confirm ; at the same time I 

 think he is mistaken in the names of several birds ; for 

 instance, he mentions both the Titmouse and the Wood- 

 pecker, two genera which have never professed even to come 

 to Egypt. He informs us that the quantity of Quails at 

 Alexandria (on their migration) is really past belief. Four 

 were to be had at the market for three farthings. " The 

 crews of merchant ships were fed upon them ; and there 

 existed at the consul's office at Alexandria several com- 



