SIX MONTHS BIRD COLLFXTING IN EGYTT. 225 



are very second rate in Egypt ; but tastes differ, and I have 

 heard it praised in England. Indeed, a writer in the 

 "Zoologist" says, "It is one of the best, if not the very 

 best of the edible Ducks" (p. 6923) (cf, p. 3826). 



189. Gadwall,* CJianlcIasuins strcpcrus (Linn.). 

 Markets at Alexandria and Cairo. 



190. Pintail Dafila acuta (Linn.) ; " Balbul." 



The Pintail is the commonest Duck on the Damictta 

 branch of the Nile, and we certainly saw huge flocks of 

 them. Yet I dare say there would be thousands more, and 

 other Ducks too, if it were not for the annual slaughter 

 which takes place at Menzaleh. We shot some at flight, 

 but the only time when they seem to be approachable on 

 the river is the early morning. 



We kept the drake alive which our boatman took on 

 Menzaleh (see p. 94) eighteen days, and then let him go 

 at the Barrage, but I doubt if he would live, as he was very 

 thin, and his wings cramped from being tied together. 

 When our captive was roused he hissed, but he was an 

 apathetic bird. 



There is to some extent a separation of the sexes, as I 

 often noticed a flock all males. In our voyage up the Nile 

 we still found it the commonest of the tribe, but not in 

 coming down again. I shot five females the first week in 

 March, and after that date very few Pintails or Ducks of any 

 kind were seen on the river, except the Garganey Teal, which 

 came later. The last Pintail shot by us was on the 8th of 



^ Yarrell gives " Grey Dnck " as a synonym of the Gadwall. On the 

 coast of Durham I have often heard it applied to the common Mallard. 



Q 



