314 TRAVELS IN UPPER 



but these differences, so common among birds of 

 this kind, did not appear to me sufficiently decisive 

 to constitute a variety, much less a distinct species. 

 It seems useless, therefore, to present the particu- 

 lar description I have taken of it. It is well 

 known that screech-owls see much better during 

 the day than other birds of night ; and, indeed, 

 I killed this one at noon-day, perched upon a 

 tree. Its name in Egypt is sahr ; it was a female. 



On this day I travelled over a very delightful 

 country. It was enriched by the cultivation of 

 numerous plants ; several sorts of trees shaded 

 and formed in some places beautiful groves. The 

 waters which refreshed the country vied with the 

 land, and also lent their tribute to an useful ferti- 

 lity ; the large leaves of the lotus covered the sur- 

 face of the rivulets and ditches, and announced 

 an abundant crop of roots. 



This plant is the noufar of the Arabians, which 

 we have called nenufar. It isa water-lily, with white 

 and odoriferous flowers *. Its roots form one of the 

 most common aliments of the Egyptians, as they 

 formerly did under the name of lotus. It appears 

 singular that several authors, from Maillet -j~down 



* Nymjihaa lotus, Lin.— Forskal, Flora Egyptiaco-Arabica, 

 p. 100. 



•j- Description of Egypt, part ii. p. 18. 



tQ 



