AND LOWER EGYPT. 17 



bird called by the ancients troglodyte, a name 

 which Guenau de Montbeillard continues to give 

 it in the natural history of birds *. When they 

 have found it, which is no difficult matter, for care 

 is taken to have one always ready, they suspend it 

 on the middle of a long pole which two men carry 

 on their shoulders, as if it were a heavy load. This 

 whimsical procession parades thus through the 

 streets of the city ; they weigh the bird on a strong 

 balance, and afterwards sit down at table to divert 

 themselves. The name given there to the troglo- 

 dyte is not less whimsical than the species of festi- 

 val which it occasions. They call it putois (pole- 

 cat) or woodcock's father, on account of the re- 

 semblance of its plumage to that of the woodcock, 

 which they there allege to be generated by the 

 pole-cat, a great destroyer of the feathered race, 

 but not the producer of any one. 



On returning to Marseilles, I stopped at Cassis, 

 where there are two manufactures in which coral 

 is polished and worked up ; the greatest part of 

 this commodity is exported to the coast of Africa, 

 and exchanged for human beings. The vineyards 

 which surround this little city produce a white- 

 wine, which is held in considerable estimation. 



* Motacilla troglodytes. Lin. Syst. Nat. 

 VOL. I. C It 



