124 EGYPTIAN BIRDS 



mud with its long, sensitive bill. I have seen Snipe 

 in most unlikely places, and once saw one fly right 

 through an open space at the Ramaseum Temple. 

 From my notes of a night's watching at a pool I 

 borrow the following : *' 14M Janua7'y, 7.30 p.m. — 

 Snipe are squawking, and can hear them coming in 

 on all sides throughout night, which is a dark one ; 

 could hear only faint rippling noise at intervals, as 

 some duck or wader moved about, and the earliest 

 call was at 3 a.m., when a Snipe squawked once 

 or twice, then silence again, and only a faint, 

 far-away dog's bark, and a cricket in the sand- 

 bank near my side began churring. At 5 a.m. 

 great splashing at end of pool, and coot began 

 moving. No light showed till after 6, and then 

 one could see duck feeding and moving ofF, and 

 again little wisps of Snipe went over my head 

 and away." 



