CHAP. XIV. WINGED SERPENTS. — SIZE OF IBIS. 219 



to the city of Buto, is a place to which I went to 

 mquire about the winged serpents. On my arrival 

 I saw a great quantity of bones and backbones of 

 serpents scattered about, of all sizes, in a place 

 where a narrow gorge between two hills opens upon 

 an extensive plain contiguous to the valley of Egypt. 

 These serpents are reported to fly from Arabia 

 into Egypt about the beginning of sprmg, when 

 the Ibises, meeting them at the opening of this 

 defile, prevent their passing, and destroy them : in 

 gratitude for which service, the Arabs say that 

 the Egyptians have great veneration for the Ibis; 

 and they themselves allow it is for this reason they 

 honour that bird. 



" There are two kinds of Ibis. The first is of 

 the size of a cre.v *, with very black plumage; the 

 legs like those of the crane, and the beak curved. 

 This kind attacks the serpents. The other Ibises 

 are more common, and often seen. They have the 

 head, and all the neck, without feathers ; their 

 plumage is white, except the head, neck, and ex- 

 tremity of the wings and tail, all which are quite 

 black ; the legs and beak being the same as in the 

 other species. The winged serpent is in figure 

 like a water-snake ; its wings are without feathers, 

 and exactly like those of a bat." 



Among the many fanciful animals of the Egyp- 

 tian sculptures, the winged serpents mentioned by 

 Herodotus are no where found. Even amons^ the 

 many monsters in the mythological subjects of 

 their tombs, none are represented, as he describes 



* Rallus crex. 



