THE EGYPTIAN GOOSE 175 



comparatively safe. Many, who may not see this 

 bird on the river, have probably often seen it at 

 home, as it is frequently kept with other water-fowl 

 on the ornamental waters of our parks. It is not a 

 lively bird, and seems to spend a large part of the 

 day standing in a hunched -up attitude on some 

 sandbank, well in the middle of the stream, from 

 which position it can see the approach of any 

 enemy. In captivity it is rather morose, and fierce 

 with any smaller fowl it can safely bully. It lives 

 on all sorts of water-insects and weeds, and makes 

 excursions at night-time to the fields and cultivated 

 grounds for grass and corn. 



Fig. 10. 



Probably no single work of art in all Egypt has 

 been more widely copied than the picture of geese 

 which is now in the Museum at Cairo. It came 

 from the tomb of Ne fer maat at Medum, and is 

 universally known as "the oldest picture in the 

 world," for it is ascribed to the earliest dynasty, 

 and approximately about 4400 B.C. To a naturalist 

 it is peculiarly interesting, but the interest is 



