THE CRANE KIND. 309 



may be in ridding Egypt, where it resides, of the 

 vermin and venomous animals that infest it, yet 

 it is much doubted whether this be the same ibis 

 to which the ancients paid their adoration. Mail- 

 let, the French consul at Cairo, observes, that it 

 is very hard to determine what bird the ancient 

 ibis certainly was, because there are cranes, 

 storks, hawks, kites, and falcons, that are all equal 

 enemies to serpents, and devour a vast number. 

 He farther adds, that in the month of May, when 

 the winds begin to blow from the internal parts 

 of Africa, there are several sorts of birds that 

 come down from Upper Egypt, from whence 

 they are driven by the rains, in search of a better 

 habitation, and that it is then they do this coun- 

 try such signal services. Nor does the figure of 

 this bird hieroglyphically represented on their 

 pillars, mark it sufficiently to make the distinc- 

 tion. Besides, the modern ibis is not peculiar to 

 Egypt, as it is to be seen but at certain seasons 

 of the year ; whereas we are informed by Pliny, 

 that this bird was seen no where else. It is 

 thought, therefore, that the true ibis is a bird of 

 the vulture kind, described above, and called by 

 some the Capon of Pharaoh, which not only is a 

 devourer of serpents, but will follow the caravans 

 that go to Mecca, to feed upon the offal of the 

 animals that are killed on the journey. 



