Bird Notes from the Nile. 53 



Kingfishers. We never tired of watching 

 them. It was fascinating to see their quick 

 flight, and wonderful hovering, and the 

 bold dash with which they would plunge 

 sometimes quite into the water to secure 

 the fish which they had spotted with their 

 bright little eyes, and the proud way they 

 would sit, with crest erect, on the rocks, 

 after having swallowed their prize. For 

 months at Aswan we saw three of these 

 little birds every day. In the early morn- 

 ing when we were crossing the river to 

 our excavations they were very busy fish- 

 ing, and on our return after sunset the 

 little family party were seated side by 

 side, always on the same rock. Then, 

 alas I one evening a sportsman (?) (I am 

 glad to say he was not an Englishman) 

 went out in a boat as the sun was setting 

 in crimson and gold, and he stalked our 

 three little friends close up to their roost- 

 ing-place, and shot the first one sitting, 

 blowing it all to pieces ; the second rose 

 a couple of yards above the fatal gun, and 

 shared the same fate. He had to reload 

 before firing at the third, which had there- 

 fore time to get further off, but it was 



