Mr. E. C. Taylur — J^gypt Revisited. 55 



found sitting close together, in the thickest part of a dense 

 grove of gum-acacia trees. 



27. Asio BRACHYOTUS (L.). Short-carcd Owl. 



One specimen of this widely distributed species was shot in 

 March, on our way down the Nile. 



28. Strix flammea, L. Barn-Owl. 



Occasionally seen among the ruined temples, and sometimes 

 shot. I found a nest of this Owl, containing one egg, in one of 

 the Pyramids of Ghizeh. 



29. Athene persica (Vieillot). Southern Little Owl. 

 Very abundant, and equally at home in town and country. 



Breeds in March. Flies freely and well in broad day-light. 

 Differs very little from the A. noctua of Europe. 



30. Jynx torqcilla, L. Wryneck. 



Near Thebes, one day in the month of March, I saw a small 

 bird climbing over some rocks. I shot it, and it turned out to 

 be a Wryneck. A month later I shot another near Daniietta. 



31. CucuLUs CANORUS, L. Common Cuckoo. 



One specimen was shot towards the end of March, not far from 

 Cairo. Not seen on any other occasion. 



32. OxYLOPHUs GLANDARiDs (L.). Great Spotted Cuckoo. 

 Very abundant, and resident through the winter. Lays its 



eggs in the nests of Corvus comix. The first eggs of this bird that 

 I found, I took on February 26th, from a nest that contained 

 two eggs of the Cuckoo, and five of its rightful proprietor, the 

 Crow. The eggs of this Cuckoo that I took in Egypt are rather 

 smaller than those taken in Spain by Lord Lilford. I believe 

 that in Egypt it never lays its eggs in the nest of any other bird 

 than Corvus comix. 



33. Centropus ^gyptius (Gmelin). Egyptian Coucal. 



On my first visit to Egypt I shot a specimen of this bird, near 

 Atfeh, the place where the Mahmoudieh canal joins the Nile. I 

 have the specimen still in my possession, but I believe Egyptian 

 examples are scarce in collections. 



34. Merops viridis, L. Green Bee-eater. 



Very abundant, and resident throughout the winter, which 



