Numbers in 

 Egypt 



428 Phyfical and Mifcellaneous 



Ibis, that was once known to every Family , is now become 

 exceedingly rare ; though the Want of it is fufficiently fup- 

 JiSgi/^i plied, by the Stork. For, befides a great Kumber of thefe 

 Birds, that might undoubtedly efcape my Notice, I faw, in the 

 Middle of ^pril, {ιη%%.) (our Ship lying then at Anchor un- 

 der Mount Carmel,) three Flights of them, each of which 

 took up more than three Hours, in paiTing by us ; extending 

 itfelf , at the fame Time, more than half a Mile in Breadth. 

 They were then leaving Egypt, (where the Canals, and the 

 Ponds that are annually left by the Nile, were become dryj 

 and direfted themfelves towards the N. E. 

 They affemhie It is obfcrvcd of the Storks, that, for about the Space of a 

 ίΈ^ρφ friz fortnight, before they pafs from one Country to another, they 

 TnotheT'^ *" coni^zntXy refort together, from all the circumjacent Parts, in 

 a certain Plain ; and there forming themfelves , once every 

 Day, into a Dou-wanne, (according to the Phrafe of thefe 

 People,) are faid to determine the exa6l Time of their Depar- 

 ture, and the Places of their future Abodes'. Thofe that fre- 

 quent the Marihes of Barhary , appear about three Weeks 

 fooner, than the Flights above-mentioned, were obferved to 

 do •, though they likewife are fuppofed to come from Egypt ; 

 whither alfo they return a little after the Autumnal jEquinoxy 

 the Kik being then retired within it's Banks, and the Country 

 in a proper Difpofition to fupply them with Nouriihment. 

 r/&iStork«- T;he Mahomitafis hiLve the Bel-arje, (for fo they commonly 

 iyTe mho- C2i\\ the Stork',) in the higheft Efteem and Veneration. It is 

 """"'' as facred among them, as the iMs was among the Egyptians•:^ 

 and no lefs profane would that Perfon be accounted, who iliould 

 attempt to kill, nay even to hurt or moleft it. The great 

 Regard that is paid to thefe Birds, might have been perhaps 

 iirft obtained, not fo much from the Service they are of to a 

 moift, fenny Country ', in clearing it of a Variety of ufeleβ 

 Reptils and Infers, as from the folemn Gefl:iculations,they are 



I This Account agrees with what we read, Jer. 8. 7. The Stork in the Heaven kiwivcth her 

 appmntcd Times. 2 [ulIxj or *U3] Leklek^or Legle^ is the Name, that is cumnionly uled 

 by the Arabian Authors, though Bel-arje prevails all over Barharj. Bodurt ( Hieroz. 1. 2. 

 cap. 29.) (uppoleth it to be the fame with the Haful^ of the Scriptures, a Bird, which was fo 

 called from the Piety of it. Nam ΓΠΌΠ p'um & ben[^nam fonat. Id. ibid. Ex'mia Ciconijs 

 ineft Ph'tas. Etenim quantum tempor'is impetiderint fcetibiis educandts, tantum & Ίρμ a puilis fuis 

 invicem aluntur. Solin. Polyhift. cap. y3 .^lian. Hift. Anim. 1. j. cap. 23. Horup. 1.2. 

 cap. J J. 3 Thus it is laid of the People of Tbeffalj. βίοΛίιί/ j τακα^γα ['ηιμΜο»,) '<>■» mit^ie 

 "aipnf ί γι< ivdiSi^in!, ^iofecTtf ίξωλίσα* λ^<ο•1«. Plut. de Ifid. p. 380. Hoiws ijs /erpentinm exitio 

 untus, tit mTheflalia cap'itale fuerit occidife, Pltn. 1. 10 cap. 23. 



ob' 



