SIX months' bird collecting in egypt. 185 



■^131. Baillon's Crake, Porzana pygm(xa (Naum). 



Captain Shelley says he has " no other authority than 

 that of Riippell " for it, and he appears to consider Riippell's 

 authority worth very little, but at p. 327 he admits that P. 

 pygmcca is a likely bird to be met with. I shot it in the reeds 

 of a pond at Benha, February nth. There were a quantity 

 of Rallidce there — for the size of the place, but I believe they 

 were Spotted Crakes, and perhaps a few VVaterhens. I 

 was attracted to it by its loud note, and after looking 

 steadily for some minutes I saw it moving in the reeds. I 

 had visited the pond before, on the 15th January, but only 

 saw a few Snipes and Dabchicks. On one other occasion I. 

 saw an example, viz., on the 26th of January, on an island 

 on Lake Menzaleh. I flushed it twice, but could not rise it a 

 third time ; for though there was not a bush on the island, 

 there was a good deal of scrubby stuff like heather, as high 

 as a man's knee. 



132. Water-Rail, R alius aquaticus, Linn. 



I saw one in the market at Alexandria on the 8th of 

 January. 



133. Water-Hen, Gallinida chloropns (Linn.) 

 " Misticavi." 



Markets at Alexandria and Cairo. I am not sure if I 

 ever saw it alive, but the species must be pretty common in 

 the Delta to have an Arabic name.* 



*•* The Water-Hen is but a blind flyer at times. In February, 1838, 

 my father's spaniel flushed one, which flew against a rail with such 

 violence that it knocked itself completely over. 



