SIX MONTHS BIRD COLLECTING IN EGYPT. 239 



of this species; I cannot say, as we never shot one. I 

 fcHind a dead one one day, but it was too far gone to 

 examine. We met a Diabeyha returning from the second 

 cataract with some skins on board. The only one we were 

 fortunate enough to get was a small grey bird at the Faioum. 

 When the breast was cut open it was found to have bled so 

 profusely, that a spoon had to be used to ladle out the 

 blood. Its beak was 11 f along the ridge, carpus 22 inches. 

 There were a good many on the lake in similar plumage. 

 They had white backs, and a white pouch and legs, and 

 beak very pale. We judged them to be birds of last year. 

 Several persons asserted that they did not breed on the 

 lake, but I should think that they would probably be found 

 to do so if it was well searched, especially as some old ones 

 were also seen there. 



It was the most absurd sight possible to see a Pelican 

 sitting in a leafless tamarisk bush very little bigger than 

 himself, yet that was their favourite perch. How the splay 

 feet manage to hold on I cannot think. They are withal a 

 cautious bird, for long before the punt has got within shot 

 the Pelican has slipped off (without any commotion), and is 

 sailing away nearly as fast as you can row. With his head 

 turned he steadily looks back at the pursuer, while he 

 breasts the waves, he calculates the distance to a nicety, 

 and then he very leisurely raises his wings (leaving the 

 water with none of the Flamingo's awkwardness), gives two 

 or three flaps, and sails, and then two or three more flaps 

 low over the water, you think he is going to alight every 

 time he glides, after his great flaps ; the tamarisks have 

 their roots deep down in the water, and a good many fish 

 may be seen basking near with their backs above water. 

 Probably these are the attraction to the Pelicans. We 

 thought that they minded the sail of the punt, as the native 

 boats have no sail, so I tried to get near them in a large 

 fishing boat, but they minded that still more. 



