Wild 2s? Tame Hoopoes 27 



come across have equally affected the olfactory 

 nerves. 



When our dahabeah was moored opposite Assouan, 

 below the first cataract of the Nile, to a sandbank in 

 close proximity to the island of Elephantina, I had 

 ample opportunity for observing the hoopoes. 



In the early morning, before one was properly 

 awake, two of these birds used to settle on the 

 dahabeah just above one's cabin window, where they 

 would utter continually their love-song — Hdb, Hob, 

 Hdb — Hdb, Hdb, Hot) ; partly dove and partly 

 cuckoo-like in sound. 



To see the male birds sparring at each other is 

 extremely pretty, dancing in the air one over the 

 other, like two large butterflies. 



After I had managed to pick up a smattering of 

 Arabic, I used to endeavour to make known to various 

 Egyptian boys the fact that I was very anxious to 

 obtain a brood of young hoopoes, having been able to 

 utter with what I thought extreme glibness the words 

 " Katakit hidadid," which, being interpreted, means 

 a brood of hoopoes ; but whether these youths mis- 

 took my meaning, or else considered that a brood of 

 any birds would suit me equally well, I know not ; 

 at any rate, for a week I was brought nothing but 

 young sparrows, varying in age from three days to ten. 

 It was not in vain, however, that I used to shake my 

 head and say, " La ! la ! Hidhid, mafish baksheesh," 

 by which I meant, " No, no, not that, but hoopoes ; 

 you shall have no present." Consequently the very 

 next morning — it was early in March — as I was sitting 



