INTRODUCTION. 



The Nile has now become such a popular winter resort, and 

 so many of my countrymen go there, not only to visit the 

 famous ruins along its banks, but also to enjoy the magni- 

 ficent climate, that I have been induced to publish the 

 present volume in the hope that it may satisfy a requirement 

 which appears to me to be very generally felt by visitors to 

 Egypt, viz. for some book upon the sport and collecting to be 

 obtained in that country. 



Few parties that one meets upon the Nile are without a 

 gun ; and it is seldom that there is not some one among them 

 who is anxious to make a collection of the many varieties of 

 birds which are sure to be met with. The boating trip 

 is admirably adapted for making a collection, as there is 

 invariably much time left on hand while the vessel is delayed 

 by adverse winds ; even at other times its progress is fre- 

 quently not so rapid as to prevent the traveller from keeping 

 pace with the boat, if he chooses to land for the sake of 

 sport, which may generally be obtained along the banks of 

 the river. 



I shall commence with a short account of my personal 



B 



