192 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 



tion of his last list he has obtained this species at Port 

 Said.* 



•^146. Sanderling, Calidris arenaria (Linn.). 



I was much pleased at seeing some flocks on the 6th and 

 8th of May near Beni-Hassan, and getting three good 

 specimens which were beginning to assume their breeding 

 dress, t 



147. Painted Snipe, Becassine dor^ of the French ; 

 Rhynchoea capcnsis (Linn.). 



As the Painted Snipe is a bird which is a good deal sought 

 after by the sportsmen who visit Egypt, it may be ad- 

 visable to mention all the places where we met with it. 

 At Chek Megahet — a pond in some fields belonging to 

 Mr. Serrur — which lies between Damietta and lake Men- 

 zaleh, ten were found and seven killed. Chek Megahet — I 

 give the spelling as near as I can — is half a mile short of 

 the Snipe-marsh called Rogar. At Mientanosara, between 

 Samanhoud and Zifteh, ten were shot as we were going 

 south ; and the next day (February 8th) eight at Kafr-El- 

 Arma, four miles north of Zifteh on the east bank ; and 

 about a mile further on, four more the following morning 

 on the same bank ; making twenty-nine specimens in all, 

 besides four skins which were given us at Damietta. They 

 are very tame birds, and when you think you have 

 thoroughly beaten a place, you had better beat it again, as 



'•^ In the " Field" of October 9th, 1875, is an interesting letter on the 

 migratory birds of Port Said. 



t I have seen a Sanderling in Leadenhall market, London, in full 

 winter plumage as early as the 19th of September, which is a case of 

 very early assumption. 



