— <S5 — 



Length about 45 inches. A red wart-like patch on the 

 crown ; the inner secondaries long and drooping and blackish 

 in colour ; cheeks and sides of neck white ; rest of plumage 

 slate grey ; bill olive ; legs black. 



347. Demoiselle Crane. Grus virgo (Linnaeus). 



Grus virgo. Shelley, p. 264. 



A few visit the country on migration, but this species is 

 far less abundant than the grey crane. 



Length about 40 inches. Pale slate grey, with the excep- 

 tion of the primaries, which are black ; the long drooping 

 secondaries are dark slate colour ; a long tuft of pure white 

 silky feathers behind the eye ; side of head, the throat and 

 fore neck black. Sexes similar. 



348. Houbara Bustard. Houhara undulata (Jacq.). 



Otis houbara. Shelley, p. 225. 



This bustard ranges through the deserts on the west bank 

 of the Nile from Cairo to the western borders of Egypt. It is a 

 resident, and breeds in suitable localities. 



Length about 30 inches. A crest of white feathers. On 

 each side of the neck a large fan-like ruff of black and white 

 plume-like feathers ; upper parts sandy brown closely vermi- 

 culated with hair-like black markings ; throat white, spotted 

 with brown ; rest of under parts white ; tail reddish sandy, 

 with four blue bars bordered with black. The female is slightly 

 smaller, and the ruff is less developed. 



349. Macqueen's Bustard. Houhara macqueeni J. E. Gray. 



Not mentioned by Shelley, and hitherto unrecorded from Egypt. 



The bustards from the deserts on the east side of the Nile 

 belong to this species, which differs from the " Houbara " bustard 

 in having the white crest tipped with black, the vermiculations 

 on the upper parts wider apart, and the tail crossed by three 

 blue bands only. 



350. Arabian Bustard. Eupodotis arahs (Linnaeus). 



Ewpodotis arahs. Shelley, p. 227. 

 I have not yet examined an Egyptian specimen of this 

 bustard, but birds of this species have been seen in the eastern 

 and western deserts and very accurately described to me, leaving 

 no doubt in my mind as to their identity. 



