318 BIRDS OF EGYPT. 



is identical (vide supra, p. 74). 8. homocJiroa, of which 

 I have only seen females, may, I think, only be a sexual or 

 seasonal plumage of S. deserti. S. lumens and ^S*. leucomela of 

 Von Heuglin's large vpork are doubtfully separable; while 

 his S. syenitica is probably only a stage of S. Ieuc02iygia, 

 depending on the age of the specimen. Pratincola Hem- 

 prichii is mentioned as Egyptian for the first time by Von 

 Heuglin (Orn. N. O. Afr. p. 339). It may have been re- 

 marked by some of my readers that although many species of 

 Warblers are included in my previous list, several still hold 

 their claim to being Egyptian birds upon rather unsatis- 

 factory evidence. This, I think, arises from the nature of 

 the Country, the diyness of the climate, and the great absence 

 of bushes, which are especially unfavourable to birds of this 

 family, and cause their numbers to be limited, while it does 

 not entirely exclude their occasional occurrence. Thus we 

 find ButiciUa seminifa, naturally a very local species, only 

 collected in Egypt by Hemprich and Ehrenberg, though, ac- 

 cording to Canon Tristram, it is not uncommon in Palestine. 

 Again, our Hedge-Sparrow, Accentor ^nodularis, has only 

 been observed by Von Heiiglin. Bradypterus Cettii appears 

 a somewhat doubtful Egyptian species, although I fully 

 believe that it does occur there. Pseudoluscinia fiuviatilis is 

 included upon still more uncertain authority ; but as both 

 these last species are found in Palestine, one may naturally 

 conclude that they do visit Egypt. Calamodyta aquatica is 

 stated by Von Heuglin to be common at times in company 

 with C. schoenobcenus; but I have never met with it, although 

 I have taken some pains to search for it. C. melanopogon is 

 perhaps more abundant in the Nile Delta than in any other 

 part of its range, yet it has been strangely omitted by Von 



