SIX months' bird COLLFXTING in EGYPT. 1 53 



noiselessl}', low over the pools in search of insects. Yet it 

 is not common in Upper Egypt ; and when we were return- 

 ing north from Assouan, we did not see many compared 

 with the Chimney Swallow, which was then becoming very 

 plentiful. In the beginning of May I noticed a great many 

 very light -breasted ones on the telegraph wires at Minieh. 

 They were no doubt all young Oriental Swallows, but the 

 tone of colour was not darker than is sometimes seen in 

 the Chimney Swallow. 



46. Chimney Swallow, Hinmdo rustica, Linn. 



The first one shot was on the 4th of March, but these 

 harbingers of spring did not become plentiful until some 

 time after. I think the first large flight I saw was on the 

 20th of April. As there were still a good many when I 

 left in June, I surmise that this species breeds in the country. 

 The specimen shot on the 14th of March was a short-tailed 

 bird with a brown head, like the one Captain Shelley shot 

 on the 25th of February, which I have seen. But it is 

 evidently a mistake to call either of them young birds, as 

 the Swallows, when they leave England for the sunny south, 

 have already blue heads. Messrs. Sharpe and Dresser have 

 shown that the head becomes brown again while they are 

 wintering in Africa. (P. Z. S., 1870, p. 244.) My specimen 

 agrees with No. 4 of their series. 



47. House Martin, Chelidon iirbica (Linn.) 



On the 3rd of April a few were seen at Silsilis, and one 

 shot. I also saw it at least once in May, and once at the 

 Faioum in June. 



