Dr. A. L. Adams 07i the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. 15 



" prolific/' which Horapollo calls a House-Sparrow ; if it be the 

 same as Sharpe * mentions in his note to the above, there can be 

 little doubt of its similarity to the Swallow, as may be seen in the 

 illustrations in this author's work, and still better on the granite 

 obelisk at Karnak. 



Merops viridis. 



There seems to be no variety among the Egyptian specimens I 

 have examined — a noticeable circumstance when the rufous-necked 

 and verditer-throated varieties of India and the Lower Himalaya 

 are considered. The cold of Lower Egypt in December and 

 January seems trying to this species, which is the only Bee-eater 

 that braves the climate then. M.persicus arrives in April. I have 

 seen the above and the Chiff-chafF almost benumbed by a tem- 

 perature of 40° Fahr. in the shade. It is, however, a lively little 

 creature on sunny days, and may be seen sporting about with 

 great vigour, now shooting from the extremity of an acacia- 

 branch, anon flitting from furrow to furrow in a newly-ploughed 

 field ; now four or six are clustered together on a branch, then 

 suddenly, with loud shrieks and chatterings, they break off" in 

 divers directions. It is withal a stupid bird, and allows one to 

 approach within a few feet : not even the report of a gun seems 

 to frighten it. 



Alcedo ispida. 



Ceryle rudis. 



The Common Kingfisher was observed often on the way be- 

 tween Alexandria and Cairo ; it, however, became less common 

 southwards, and eventually disappeared soon after leaving the 

 latter city. The Belted Kingfisher is common wherever there 

 are shallows and sand-banks, but is rarely seen between the First 

 and Second Cataracts, as the shallows there are few and far be- 

 tween. It breeds early in December. All the male specimens 

 (six in number) procured by me had a double collar, whereas in 

 the female specimens (two in number) there was only one black 

 collar. 



Upupa epops 



Is extensively distributed over Egypt and Nubia during the 



* ' Egyptian Hieroglyphics,' p. 33, plate xxvii. nos. 1600 to 1606. 



