Cruelty to Birds 225 



They are most gracefully shaped birds, with slender 

 bills and long pointed tails. 



Brilliant green, with a lovely golden chestnut in the 

 flight feathers, which is seen when they are on the wing. 



Those that were brought me were a pair, evidently 

 caught in their nesting-hole overhanging the river, for 

 their bills were encrusted with Nile mud, showing 

 that they were preparing a site for their eggs. 



They were tied by string round their little stumpy 

 legs. 



Knowing that it would be hopeless to keep them, 

 and cruel ; I quietly betook myself to the other side 

 of the Dahabeah, cut the strings, and liberated them 

 across the river. 



Then I returned to the man, and informed him 

 they were gone. 



It was fortunate, perhaps, that I only knew a little 

 Arabic, for I am sure that his language was appalling ! 



But it taught him and others standing by, a prac- 

 tical lesson that I did not want to deprive such birds 

 either of their liberty or their lives. 



The Arabs catch the quails, taking a large bunch 

 of perhaps two dozen birds, tie their legs promiscu- 

 ously and tightly with string, and carry the poor little 

 fellows with their heads hanging downwards. If a 

 man stops anywhere, he throws his living bundle on 

 the ground, where they lie, many of them bleeding 

 from the rough usage. 



It is declared that on some of the Dahabeahs, &c., 

 scullions think nothing of plucking pigeons and fowls 

 alive. 



