THE SAM ARM AN. 457 



watch on the summit of the adjacent hill, which circum- 

 stance sometimes enables the Arabs to kill them. The 

 usual mode of taking them is by digging a hole in the 

 ground near the eggs, into which the Bedouin puts his 

 loaded gun pointed towards the nest, and having a long 

 burning match fastened to the lock. After he has retired 

 for some time the ostrich returns, and not perceiving any 

 enemy it rejoins its mate sitting upon the eggs. In a 

 short while, the match being burnt down the gun is dis- 

 charged ; and the two birds are frequently killed at one 

 shot. The inhabitants in the district of Jof purchase and 

 eat their flesh ; the eggs are reckoned delicious food, and 

 are sold for about a shilling each. The shells are hung 

 in rooms as ornaments; and the feathers are carried 

 to the markets of Aleppo and Damascus, where they 

 bring about two shillings a-piece. Sometimes the whole 

 skin is sold with the feathers upon it : the price, when 

 Burckhardt was at Aleppo in 1811, was from 250 to 

 600 piastres the rotolo, being from 2, 10s. to 6 per 

 Ib. A beautiful lapwing (called hudhud) is common 

 on the shores of the Persian Gulf. The Arabs have 

 a fabulous tradition, perhaps descended from Solomon, 

 that its language may be understood. 



There is a bird named Samarman or Samarmog, to 

 which the Arabs pay a degree of respect bordering on ado- 

 ration. It is thought to be a native of Khorasan, and is 

 ranked among the thrushes by Forskal, who calls it Turdus 

 seleucus. It comes annually into Arabia in pursuit of the 

 locusts, of which it destroys incredible numbers. The 

 service done by it, in protecting vegetation from the 

 desolating ravages of these insects, has given rise to se- 

 veral ridiculous and superstitious practices. The Syrian 

 Arabs believe that it is attracted from Persia by means of 

 water, which for this purpose they bring from a distance 

 with great ceremony, and preserve in a stone reservoir on 

 the top of the tower of a mosque at Mosul. When this 

 consecrated liquid fails the inhabitants are in despair. 

 The periodical visits of the samarman are easily account- 

 ed for on the principle of instinct, which prompts it not 

 only to feed on locusts, but to kill as many of them as 

 possible ; and hence, it naturally follows them in the 

 course of their passage. The Arabs named to Forskal 

 several other birds which he could never see, and of which, 

 consequently, he did not ascertain the genus. Of these were 



