26 Bird Notes from the Nile, 



very small numbers, during the whole 

 year. 



" Palm and pomegranate, where the tree-doves coo, 

 The crested Hoopoe flits, the Roller-bird 

 Lights the dark thicket with his burning blue. 



* * * 4! * 



The white cranes watch their shadows in the pool ; 

 Doves sunned on the roof their silver wings." 



— Sir Edwin A mold. 



Writing of pigeons reminds me of a 

 funny thing which happened to a friend 

 of mine who was anxious to air his then 

 slender stock of Arabic. Wishing to order 

 a hot bath, he called the " boy " and gave, 

 as he thought, the order in good, well-pro- 

 nounced Arabic. After waiting for a very 

 long time, the '' boy " reappeared, but not 

 with the expected bath, but with a roast 

 pigeon and a bowl of sugar, much to my 

 friend's surprise. Explanations, of course, 

 ensued, and the waiter proved himself to 

 have only obeyed orders, for my friend had 

 asked for Hamdm-sukkar (pigeon, sugar) 

 instead of Hamman sukkn (bath, hot). 



There are many birds of prey in 

 Egypt. Perhaps the commonest is the 

 Egyptian, Parasitic or Yellow-billed Kite. 



