AND LOWER EGYPT. 329 



unravelling the phrases of nomenclature, has not 

 been able to decide accurately on this point. But 

 as far as I am able to judge, the bird which I am 

 describing is of the falcon genus. 



I likewise saw in the hedges the troglodyte * | 

 chaffinches in every place ; larks in the open 

 country ; and, near the waters, a great number 

 of wagtails, or laundresses -j~. This species is 

 extended all over Egypt, and they appear to dwell 

 there constantly. The yellow wagtail, on the 

 contrary, is only a bird of passage J, and this 

 was the first time that it appeared there that year ; 

 it returns towards the spring. The two species 

 have the same manner of living ; they both fre- 

 quent the neighbourhood of dwelling-houses and 

 of the waters. However, the laundress ap- 

 proaches man more familiarly ; she enters into 

 the cities, hops about lightly and with confidence 

 on those places over which the rice is spread, not- 

 withstanding the number of labourers who are 

 employed in drying this grain. The yellow wag- 

 tail gives more willingly the preference to the 

 country. 



f See p. 1 7. 



f Lavandiere. BufFon, Hist. Nat. des Ois. et pi. enlum. No. 

 P52. — Mot ac ilia alba. Lin. 



% Yellow wagtail. Buffun, Hist. Nat. des Ois. et pi. enlum. 

 No. 28, fig. 1 . — Motacilla baarula. Lin. 



It 



