1921.] Birds of Lower Egypt. 583 



and damaged its wino-. It lived for a considerable time in 

 one of the aviaries at Giza. Earliest arrival noted on 



22 September. 



212. Limnocryptes gallinula. Jack Snipe. 



Not uncommon at the Birket Accrashi, where I have shot 

 it from 7 October to 11 April. 



213. Scolopax rusticola rusticola. Woodcock. 



This species winters sparingly in the palm-groves at Alag 

 and Marg, near Abu Zabaal. I shot specimens there on 



23 December, 1917, and 6 February, 1918, and have seen 

 others between these dates. 



214. Rhynchaea bengalensis. Painted Snipe. 



Odd pairs are resident, but it seems to prefer small 

 swamps to the Birket Accrashi, where it was but seldom 

 observed. Its well-known skulking habits make observation 

 largely a matter of luck. Dr. Beven found four fresh eggs 

 in a small marsh, south of the Pyramids, on 7 April, 1918 ; 

 and Major F. W. Borman and myself found a nest, con- 

 taining three incubated eggs, in the Wadi Natrun, on 25 

 May, 1918. 



215. Gallinago gallinago gallinago. Common Snipe. 

 Numerous on the Birket Accrashi, where it affords good 



sport, from September to March. Early arrivals have been 

 noted on 14 August, and some few remain until early May. 



216. Hydrochelidon ieucoptera. White-winged Black 



Tern. 

 Small parties observed on the Birket Accrashi in spring 

 and autumn. Noted on 30 April, 20 May, 27 August, 

 1 September^ and 17 September. Examples wen^ obtained in 

 both winter and summer plumage. Numbers were observed 

 in the Wadi Natrun at the end of May 1918, but we found 

 no trace of their breeding, although it looked a likely place. 

 C^aptain Boyd records in ' The Ibis,' 1917, p. 55G, having seen 



