Bird Notes from the Nile. 5 



were lovely amethyst and agate heads 

 and scarabs ; lamps of various shapes ; 

 elegant alabaster vases of both cream and 

 a pale bluish grey colour; vases of 

 earthenware of countless sizes and shapes ; 

 and an exquisite ** pilgrim bottle" in 

 turquoise blue faience, the neck represent- 

 ing a lotus flower, on either side of which 

 is a little ape : an inscription runs round 

 the bottle stating that " Ptah wishes the 

 owner a happy new year." Other valuable 

 things which rewarded our search were a 

 very fine bronze dagger, some flint-tipped 

 arrows of the Vlth Dynasty, and two 

 pearl shells inscribed with the names of 

 Usertesen I. ; there were also several chil- 

 dren's toys, among these a wooden doll 

 with movable arms. On her head she 

 carries a basket, and in her hand she 

 holds a pigeon by the wings in the same 

 way that the market girls do in Egypt 

 now. We found of course numberless 

 mummies, some in richly painted cases, 

 others wrapped in cartonage ornamented 

 with painting and inscriptions. In a large 

 earthenware sarcophagus was the mummy 

 of a small bird. 



