— 92 — 



the past twelve years it has occurred once at Giza, and is some- 

 times numerous in the Faiyiim and has been reported from 

 Luxor. I have no records of its having bred in Egypt. 



Length about 12 inches. Upper parts, hair brown, suffused 

 on the back with rose ; tail and tail coverts pure white ; pri- 

 maries black ; secondaries and basal half of primary coverts 

 white ; the folded wing shows a black and white bar ; throat 

 white ; chest slaty grey ; abdomen and under tail coverts 

 buff. Sexes practically alike. 



370. Egyptian Plover. Pluvianus cegyftius (Linnaeus). 



Pluvianus cegyftius. Shelley, p. 234. 



This plover is certainly far less abundant than it was in 

 Shelley's time ; in fact, in the last twelve years I have only one 

 rehable record of the bird having been seen in Egypt. On 

 May 15, 1916, between El 'Aiyat and Badrshein a pair was seen 

 and clearly identified by Lord W. Percy and Mr. G. E. Burnett 

 Stuart. 



Length about 9 inches. Top of head, the nape, back, and 

 a band round the chest black ; scapulars, wings (excepting the 

 flight feathers), and tail pale clear grey, the last tipped with 

 white ; a stripe over each eye meeting on back of head white ; 

 flight feathers black with a wide white bar ; throat white ; 

 rest of under parts buff. 



371. Avocet. Recurvirostra avocetta Linnaeus. 



Recurvirostra avocetta. Shelley, p. 260. 



Abundant on the shallow shores of the lakes in Lower Egypt, 

 where it probably breeds or used to breed. In some of the 

 Wadi Natrun lakes it is abundant and resident, and has been 

 reported as breeding. In the Faiyiim it seems less common, 

 as it does also in Upper Egypt, but this is probably owing to 

 lack of suitable feeding grounds. 



Length about 17 inches. Top of head, nape, and back of 

 neck, scapulars, primaries, and shoulders black ; rest of plumage 

 pure white ; bill black, long, slender, and upturned and flexible ; 

 legs and toes pale blue, feet webbed. Young birds have the 

 black portions of the plumage suffused with brown. 



372. Stilt. Hitnantopus candidus Bonnaterre. 



Himantopus candidus. Shelley, p. 260. 

 Common in suitable localities and resident. Its numbers 

 are augmented during both migrations by immigrants. 



