AND LOWER EGYPT- 3U 



separate, much confusion has been created in their 

 history. The race of turtle-doves with a ring 

 round the neck, of Egypt, less fat and more de- 

 licate than those of Europe *, appear to be the 

 same with that of the turtle-cloi-e iv'ith a ring, 

 of Senegal, described by Brisson -j~, as far as we 

 can judge from the ensemble of the descriptions. 



Furthermore, these turtle-doves, of whatever 

 species they be, whether travellers or domesticated, 

 are equally preserved by the inhabitants of Egypt : 

 they do not kill, and never eat them. Wishing to 

 know the motive of this abstinence among people 

 who possess so little in the greater part of their ac- 

 tions, I learnt that it was for the honour of huma- 

 nity. It is a consequence of the respect due to 

 hospitality, which the Arabs hold in such high esti- 

 mation, and of which they have communicated 

 some shades to the people who dwell among them. 

 They would regard it as a violation of this hospi- 

 tality not to spare those birds which come with a 

 perfect confidence to live amongst them, and there 

 to become skilful but useless preceptors of love and 

 tenderness. The very farmer who sees his harvests 



* Tourterelle k collier. Buffon, Hist. Nat. des Ois. & pi. 

 enlum. No. 244. — Columba risona. Lin. 



f Ornith. tome i. page 95, gen. i. Tourterelle & collier da 

 Senegal. Buffon, Hist. Nat. des Ois. Etrangers qui ant rap- 

 port aux tourterelles, art. 2. — Columba vinacea. Lin. 



x 4 a prey 



