PINTAIL-DUCK 179 



of a duck under a circle, which is translated as the 

 Son of the Sun, was doubtless meant to represent 

 this particular bird. Very often — not always — 

 where the workmanship is of the finest and of a good 

 period, the characteristics are exact, and the long 

 pintail feathers are most plainly shown. Now, no 

 duck that comes to this country has a long tail, 

 other than the Pintail, therefore there can be no 

 question that these old-time artists, for some reason 

 best known to themselves, selected from all the 

 various ducks they have, just this particular one 

 to symbolize this royal conception. It is also 

 shown on many wall-paintings in the tombs, flying 

 with the tail spread, and the two long central 

 feathers well marked. Going up the Nile some- 

 times you pass great high bare sandbanks which 

 have on the other side of them long narrow strips 

 of shallow pools ; here, at certain times, is the 

 place to see duck in their thousands — literally 

 thousands. There they sit secure ; the high bank 

 screens them from the river-way with its great 

 sailing-boats and modern steamers ; they can see 

 the tops of the spars and masts and the black 

 smoke from the steamers' funnels, but neither boat 

 nor steamer can see them. If you attempt an 

 approach by land you can rarely surprise them, as 



