Bird Notes from the Nile. 17 



there a buff or a greyish shade is seen on 

 their backs. 



The little Egret, familiarly known as the 

 " Paddy " bird, with milk-white feathers, 

 is very charming ; and if travellers can 

 stay in Egypt late enough in the spring, 

 he may be seen with the egret, or crest, 

 which he dons in the breeding season. It 

 is so pretty to see them following the 

 plough to pick up insects, or sitting on 

 the backs of the slowly moving buffaloes. 



The weird cry of the Curlews may often 

 be heard on still evenings. There are 

 Ruffs on many of the sand banks, but they 

 may easily be passed over, as they do not 

 wear the feathers which give them their 

 name and comically ferocious appearance 

 except in the summer. 



Green Shanks too are among the waders, 

 and there are plenty of common Sand- 

 pipers. Stone Curlews, or Norfolk Plovers 

 wander about on desert banks and we were 

 lucky enough once to see a little Bittern, 

 which is I believe now a very rare bird. 



Among the Plovers is the Black-headed 

 Plover or " Pluvian," which is said by some 

 to be the "trochilus" or "crocodile bird" 



B.N. c 



