— VI — 



As regards the vexed question of nomenclature, I have 

 used the names which seem most suitable and easily under- 

 stood, and as an EngHsh name has in all cases been added there 

 should be no loophole for confusion. Trinomials are used when- 

 ever possible, as recognition of well-marked geographical races 

 is of the highest importance towards the furtherance of the 

 science of ornithology. The order adopted is, as far as possible, 

 that used by the late Howard Saunders in his " Manual of 

 British Birds," the standard work on that subject. References 

 are given to Shelley's " Birds of Egypt " when possible. 



The greatest difficulty of all, however, has been to condense 

 the descriptions so as to enable those interested to identify a 

 bird seen as soon as possible and without wading through tech- 

 nical terms ; in this I trust I have succeeded. 



Egypt, as regards its avifauna, must be included in the 

 Palaearctic region, as, although a few Ethiopian forms, such as 

 sun bird, Nectarina, and lark-heeled cuckoo, Centwpus, are 

 residents in the country, the rest of its avifauna is undoubtedly 

 of European origin. I draw the boundaries of Egypt for the 

 present work as from Solium to the Suez Canal on the north to as 

 far south as Wadi Haifa. This seems the most natural way of 

 defining the limits of Egypt from an ornithological point of view, 

 and for these reasons. As regards the eastern limit, shortly 

 after crossing the Suez Canal one finds forms which do not 

 occur on the west bank, and on the western boundary a line 

 drawn due south from Solium just separates Egyptian forms 

 from those which extend westward, such as races of crested 

 larks, Galerida. 



As regards Wadi Haifa being taken as the southern limit, 

 this is more or less arbitrary ; but as one has to draw a line, 

 Haifa seems the most suitable place for it, as being the most 

 northern town in the Sudan and practically marking the 

 southern political boundary of Egypt. 



There is no doubt that, at the present time, several species 

 of birds are far less abundant, in the number of individuals, 

 than they were in Shelley's time. Of these one may mention the 

 Egyptian plover, Pluvianus cegyptius, and the white-tailed 

 plover, Chetusia leucura. On the other hand, however, several 

 species have increased in the number of individuals during the 

 past twelve years, such as the resident hoopoe, Upupa efops 

 major, the spur-winged plover, Hoplopterus spinosus, and the 

 l)uff-backed egret, Ardea ibis. This is owing to the law protect- 



