THE ANIMAL KINGDOM. 297 



ing, on the banks of the Nile, frequently seen flocks of 

 geese traverse the air on their route to Nubia, I was 

 enabled to verify the accuracy of their narrations. 



I have also observed that when these travellers, worn 

 out with fatigue, rested at different places on the banks of 

 the river, there were placed all around the dense crowd of 

 sleeping birds motionless sentinels, which, with watchful ear 

 and keen lookout, carefully scanned the neighborhood, and 

 gave the alarm to the whole camp so soon as an enemy ap- 

 proached. Our hunters tried to surprise them, but always 

 in vain. Long before they were within gun-shot, these vig- 

 ilant sentries were seen to raise their necks, watch those 

 approaching, hesitate a few moments, beating their wings, 

 and then with a low cry take wing, when all the troop of 

 emigrants followed. 



Nevertheless, it is probable that the ancient Egyptians, 

 more skilful than we are, succeeded in capturing these 

 travelling bands. In fact, among the paintings or hiero- 

 glyphs on the monuments of the Pharaohs, we frequently 

 find represented wild-goose fowling with the net, and peo- 

 ple carrying these birds in panniers to market for sale. 

 Lepsius, in his beautiful work on Egypt, has reproduced 

 some of these fowling scenes from the paintings and bas- 

 reliefs of Beni-Hassan and the great pyramids of Gizeh. 



Some insects, when they remove from their dwellings, 

 observe a degree of order which is no less remarkable. 

 One species of the order Lepidoptera has become celebrated 

 on account of the law which its larvae constantly follow 

 during their peregrinations. When the troop issues from 

 the lair or sack in which the whole family have been 



