200 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 



rompings cease, and their emotions tone down as they sub- 

 side into the modest parents of a hopeful family. When 

 wounded they dive even better than Totanus hypolencos, 

 shaking off the crystal drops from their glossy black backs, 

 and baffling the attempts of your attendant to retrieve them. 



The " Pluvian," or Black-headed Plover, as it is more 

 correctly called, is a noticeable feature in the scenery of the 

 Nile. Hasselquist characterised it as the Egyptian Dotterel. 

 He says it is found in the plains feeding on insects, which is 

 hardly a correct statement ; and he includes it in his list of 

 migratory birds under the months of September and Octo- 

 ber, which is wrong again, as it is a resident. Nevertheless, 

 he was a good naturalist for his day. It is easy for men 

 who know better to carp at him now, but the wonder is that 

 he made so few mistakes. 



I never noticed that the present species and the Spur- 

 winged Plover could raise the occipital feathers into the 

 kind of low crest represented in the plate of Savigny. 



163. Stone-Curlew, (Edicnemus crepitans, Tern. 

 (Hasselquist, 28, 32) ; " Karavan." 



What would be the astonishment of a West Norfolk 

 gamekeeper to see the Stone-Curlews perching on houses at 

 Damietta } Our Diabeyha was moored near an ancient 

 " casern," now fast falling into ruins : the roof of this edifice 

 was their favourite resort. Twice we laid up for the evening 

 flight, but in vain, and we had to content ourselves with 

 listening to their shrill whistle, and watching their dark 

 forms against the sky. Up the Nile they were seen at 

 various places — always I think in pairs — and specimens ob- 

 tained at Fechn, Minieh, and How. At the Faioum, also 

 the Kiravaii, as it was there called, was rather common. 

 They are such swift runners that you have very little chance 



