Dr. A. L. Adams on the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. \ 1 



tached Falcons among the hieroglyphic writings, and also on 

 the walls of the temples and tombs ; but all are so extravagantly 

 coloured that there is no possibility of making out the species*. 



Cerchneis tinnunculus, Boie. 



The Kestrel is the most common Falcon in Egypt. I did not 

 observe its congener, C. cenchris; but Heuglin says, "it is very 

 common in Lower Egypt during spring, especially around 

 Alexandria "t^ possibly on its way northwards, as it may be met 

 with in numbers at that season in Malta. The Kestrel was the 

 emblem of Horus, Re, or the sun, and a host of other gods. 

 This is apparent from the mummied specimens, intaglios on the 

 monuments, and the usual wooden representations on the lids 

 of coffins. There is little doubt, however, that other closely 

 allied species, such as T. cenchris, may have frequently been mis- 

 taken for, or perhaps considered identical with, the sacred bird, 

 and accordingly worshipped and embalmed. The bird of Horus 

 is represented with a black spot under the eye, red and black 

 barrings on the back, with reddish white on the lower parts, which 

 are more or less spotted with black. Mummied Kestrels are 

 found in great numbers, and, with the Ibis, have frequently been 

 discovered in coffins along with human mummies. Its part in 

 the symbolism of Egyptian worship is thus described by Mr. 

 Rhind : — " The Hawk was the symbolic bird of that important 

 functionary of Amenti, Horus, who, after having first taken part 

 along with Anubis in weighing the good and bad actions of the 

 trembling souls, ushered those whose welcome was secured into 

 the presence of Osiris." J On that account the Hawk was held 

 in great veneration, as we learn from Herodotus and Diodorus 

 that, " in Egypt, whoever kills an Ibis, Hawk, or Cat, either 

 wilfully or by accident, must necessarily be put to death," — a 

 bad look-out for ornithologists in these days ! Moreover, Dio- 

 dorus states that every trouble was taken to preserve them, and 

 that they were fed by the natives, who not only kept Hawks in 

 captivity, but were in the habit of placing flesh and food in the 



* Wilkinson's ' Ancient Egyptians,' vol. ii. p. 207. 



t Ibis, 1861, p. 72. 



X ' Thebes, its Tombs and their Tenants,' p. 100. 



