2^6 THE ANCIENT EGYPTIANS. CHAP. XIV. 



the most remarkable, from the tale attached to 

 it, was the Trochilus. * Sicard is right in say. 

 ing that it is called Siksak by the Arabs, though 

 this name is also applied to the spur-winged and 

 crested plovers. The benefit it confers on the 

 crocodile, by apprising it of the approach of danger 

 with its shrill voice t, doubtless led to the fable of 

 the friendly offices it was said to perform to that 

 animal, as I have already observed, t 



Ammianus calls the Trochilus a small § bird, 

 which does not disagree with the dimensions of the 

 Siksak, being only 92 inches long. It is of a slate 

 colour, the abdomen and neck being white. The 

 head is black, with two white stripes running from 

 the bill and meeting at the nape of the neck, 

 and a black mantle extends over the shoulders to 

 the tail. The feet are blue, and the beak black. 

 The wings are also black, with a broad transverse 

 white band. It is the Charadrius melanocephalus 

 of Linnaeus. 1! 



Goose, Duck. 



The Egyptian goose was an emblem of the God 

 Seb^, the father of Osiris. It was not, however, 



* TElian (xii. 15.) says tlicrc were "several sj)ccies of Trochilus 

 (i.e. Charadrius), with hard names," to which he seems always to have 

 a great objection. 



■f Conf. il^^lian, viii. 25. " Oyt r^xi^iXoc l^o<f. . . . oinaTiiat." 



t Vide Vol. [II. p. 79, 80. 



§ Or " short," " brcvis." Ammian. Marcell. xxii. p. 336. Vide Wood- 

 cut No. 4G.'i, iiifiri,p. 2G9. 



II T.inn:eus has taken the Trochilus as a generic name for the luunming 

 birds, particularly for those with curved bills. 



7 Vidr Vol. T. (2d Scries) p. 312. 



