Dr. A. L. Adams on the Birds of Egypt and Nubia. 31 



large flocks^ associated with Night-Herons, Spoonbills, Pelicans, 

 &c. The Black Stork is not so shy nor gregarious, and is fre- 

 quently met with in fields and by the side of pools. 



ArDEA CINEREA. 



Nycticorax gardeni (Jard.). 



The Cinereous Heron is plentiful all along the river in suitable 

 places. The Night-Heron was often seen, and frequently in 

 large flocks, with other Waders. A Heron is observed on the 

 walls of the tombs with two long plumes ; and the fact of being 

 generally coloured a bluish grey would lead to the supposition 

 that one or other of the above is meant, and not the A. buhulcus 

 of Savigny, as stated by Wilkinson *. I am inclined, therefore, 

 to think the " Tufted Benoo " (one of the emblems of Osiris) is 

 the " Night-Heron." 



Ardea garzetta (L.) ? 



Flocks of a small White Heron withWack bill were often seen 

 in the distant and inaccessible shallows and mud-banks, also fre- 

 quently on wing ; I could not, however, ascertain with certainty 

 whether they belonged to the above, to A. alba (L.), or to the 

 A. nigj'irostris of Bonaparte. 



BUPHUS RUSSATUS, Bp. 



This bird feeds chiefly on frogs, of which it devours large 

 numbers. The call resembles the " bleat " of sheep. The colour 

 of the iris varies from a pale to a bright yellow. The only dif- 

 ference I can perceive between this and the Paddy-bird of India 

 [A. caboga, Franklin) is, that the yellowish white, instead of being 

 on the crown, is on the forehead (in Indian specimens at least) 

 during the winter season. 



I have seen a specimen of Ardeola minuta (Bp.) which was 

 killed in Upper Egypt ; and on two or three occasions, below 

 Beni Hassan, I identified flocks of Spoonbills. 



Ibis religiosa. 



I can find no reason for considering the Sacred Ibis to have 

 been a native at any time of either Egypt or Nubia, and I doubt 

 very much if it is ever seen south of its haunts at the junction 



* Op. cit. vol. ii. p. 225. 



