Notes of a Journey through Syria S^c. 415 



were coming on, long lines of a large black bird, like Ravens 

 in the distance, began to pass over us, flying low and heavily 

 to the other side of the river. As they approached, frequently 

 within a few feet of our heads, we recognized them at once 

 as the great Bald Ibis, Comatibis comata, whose acquaint- 

 ance I had only made once in my life before, in the Sahara. 

 Noble fellows they looked, as their long red bills outstretched 

 and their red legs and feet contrasted with their resplendent 

 black plumage, lazily flapping their wings as they sailed, 

 rather than flew, uoislessly over us. We might have brought 

 down as many as we pleased, but were warned by the by- 

 standers that the birds were sacred, and that it would be a 

 crime to kill one. I had no wish to get into trouble on my 

 first entrance into Mesopotamia, and so bided my time. The 

 birds congregated on the other side of the water, exactly after 

 the manner of Rooks, some among the houses, many on the 

 old castle, and more along the clifts higher iip. 



Our quarters at Birejik were at a schoolmaster's house (a 

 native Christian), high up in the town, and just under a clifi" 

 inhabited by a colony of Ibises. Next morning the birds all 

 disappeared at daybreak, and the rookery was apparently 

 deserted till sunset. Not really so, for I discovered that 

 many young birds were still in their nests, though all were 

 hatched, and we were too late (8th June) for eggs. The 

 inhabitants of Birejik are chiefly Moslem, and believe that 

 the Ibises contain the souls of the departed saints. It is 

 consequently a crime to kill them, and their nests, though 

 easily accessible, are never disturbed. My host, however, 

 told me he could put me in the way of obtaining specimens. 

 Accordingly, in the afternoon, a young man called to inform 

 me he could take me a little before sunset to a spot where I 

 could secure as many as I wished without being seen. We 

 started forth, and armed with a permit to visit the ruined 

 Saracenic castle, we were passed through the gate of the 

 citadel, which is under the cliff on which the old fortress is 

 perched ; and passing through it, we stationed ourselves un- 

 observed in a recess, away from the town, just under a ledge, 

 which is one of the favourite roosting- places o£ the holy bird. 



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