Bird Notes from the Nile. 25 



chair, they sat on the top of the con- 

 stantly-open window. The native Nubian 

 women make, out of the Nile mud, quaint 

 little model houses, about a foot high, with 

 sliding doors, for the domestic pigeons to 

 nest in. One of these was given to us. 



Besides the pigeons there are doves 

 everywhere. The dear little '* palm doves," 

 the genuine Egyptian turtle doves, which 



>. 



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mmi 



Pigeon's nesting-house. 



are resident in the country, may be found 

 in every palm grove, or preening their 

 feathers on the sunny walls of the villages. 

 They are pretty little birds with pinkish- 

 blue heads and breasts, and brown backs 

 and grey wing covers. There are also two 

 other turtle doves, which are constantly 

 met with in ruined temples and among 

 the rocks : one has a blue-grey head, the 

 other a pale brown head; but these do 

 not remain in Egypt, except perhaps in 



