48 EGYPTIAN BIRDS 



casual visitor to the British Isles ; but there it is at 

 once shot, as soon as seen, and is then mounted by 

 the local taxidermist. Few collections of stuffed 

 birds, however modest, are without examples of 

 British-killed Hoopoes. That it will ever therefore 

 become common with us is impossible, but that it 

 might be a regular visitor is certain, for, as long 

 as there have been any records kept, its appearance 

 in the summer has been noted, and no farther than 

 the Continent it is a regular and honoured visitor. 

 The last Hoopoe I saw in Egypt was on April 6, 

 on Lake Menzaleh ; it rose from a mere scrap of 

 an island all soft sand, and headed to the dunes 

 that separate the lake from the Mediterranean, 

 and the last I saw of it, was it still flying with 

 its head pointed to European shores. 



