400 THE EMPIRE OF THE AIR. 



whether in soaring or in tapping flight; its long tail is a sure index; 

 there is no possibility of confounding it with a raven, a buzzard, a kite, 

 or even with some other species of falcon; its peculiarities are too 

 plain. Now, as to the determination of the sex, nothing is easier. 

 One need only observe the bird for a few moments, the male discovers 

 himself by the petulance and rapidity of his beats, by the energy of 

 his movements ; the female is more supple and less ardent in her mode 

 of cleaving through the air. 



As for the "Pharaoh's chicken" (Percnoptere), the case is again 

 easy. Afar off it may be distinguished amid a flock of kites, which it 

 often accompanies, by a slight peculiarity in its flight, a remarkable 

 unsteadiness in its forward progress, also by the narrow width of its 

 wings, and by their decided rectilinear set athwart the body, for they 

 are partly folded or flexed only when the wind is very strong. As to 

 the male bird, he may be distinguished from the female as far as the 

 eye can reach by his color, for he is white and the female is dark 

 brown. 



The great tawny vultures {Gyps fit If us) are to be recognized by their 

 steadiness in soaring, by the amplitude of their circling sweeps, and 

 by the majestic deliberation of their movements. 



The arrians {Yidtiir monaeJnis) and the oricous {Otoyyps auricular) 

 are noticeable by th<? exagg(nation of all these latter qualities and by 

 a darker i)lumage. 



As for the bearded grittin {Uypai'tos), its long tail, broad and rounded, 

 easily discloses him afar oif ; there is no bird of similar outline among 

 the large soarers. 



Here then in all its simplicity, is the explanation of a feat of dis- 

 cernment which generally astonishes the inexpert. In order to deter- 

 mine accurately the kind of bird seen afar off in full flight, it is simply 

 necessary to have observed it long and well. When eagles have 

 started ofl' within ."iO yards, and the eyes have followed them man\ 

 times, the evolutions have become photographed on the memory; and 

 later, on other occasions, when the same rhythm of movement is per- 

 ceived, there is no longer need to concentrate the attention on the 

 shape of the daws to determine whether the bird in view l)e an eagle 

 or a vulture. 



Close ])roximity is greatly to be desired in studying the manceuvres 

 of birds. I have been enabled to observe at very close range sexeral 

 kinds: the crows, the kestrel falcons, the peregrine falcon, the kite, 

 the Egyptian ^•nlture, the pelicans, the tawny vultures, etc., have 

 J' i elded many of their secrets to me. 



I will not here aniplify on what I say as tt> the crow and the kite in 

 the chapter devoted to them: in Cairo it is easy to touch the latter 

 bird in full flight, by going about it dexterously, but the most stirring, 

 exciting sight (the word is not too energetic) is to stand in the vulture 

 roost on the Mokatan ridge, lu'ar Cairo, and to look upon the (ii/p.< ful- 

 'vus, passing within live yards in full flight. 



