Bibliographical Notices. 459 



country, not much novelty was to be expected in retraversing well- 

 trodden ground. 



Some short chapters at the commencement of the book give a 

 general idea of the mode of travelling in Egypt, and of the favourite 

 haunts of its birds. These serve as an introduction to the more 

 formal part, where each species of bird is individually treated of and 

 described. 



The number of species mentioned is 352, which at first sight seems 

 a large total when the nature of the country is taken into consider- 

 ation, and seeing that no high mountain-chains are present to main- 

 tain a varied fauna. But Egypt is peculiarly situated, being the only 

 strip of fertile land, with deserts on either side, to form a connexion 

 between the Mediterranean and the equatorial regions of Africa, and 

 is hence a highway, as it were, for birds passing both north and 

 south. The number of birds, both of species and individuals, is 

 doubtless increased by this favourable circumstance. 



The portion of Egypt treated of by Captain SheUey is confined 

 between the Mediterranean and the Second Cataract, and west and 

 east by the Libyan and Arabian deserts. A glance at the list of 

 birds found there shows that they chiefly belong to the fauna of 

 South-eastern Europe. Its connexion with Ethiopia proper and 

 with the East is only shown here and there by the presence of such 

 forms as Pycnonotus, Grateropus, Nectarinia, and Centropus. But 

 Egypt, though belonging to the European fauna, forms quite an out- 

 lying province of it ; passing a little further south, we come to the 

 truly Ethiopian fauna of Abyssinia. 



But to return to the book itself. Captain Shelley's plan through- 

 out has been to give the Latin and English name of each species, a 

 short note of the places where it is found in Egypt, a brief descrip- 

 tion and a reference to some well-known illustrated work to assist 

 in the subsequent identification of each species. Where his own 

 observations have been extended or modified by others who have 

 preceded him over the same ground, he has given a reference to the 

 observation quoted. These chiefly refer to the works of Von Heuglin, 

 who has travelled in and written much on the ornithology of this 

 country and those adjoining it immediately to the southward. 



With this plan we have not much fault to find ; and we believe 

 that any one travelling in Egypt with Captain Shelley's book, and a 

 smattering only of bird lore, will make fair way in determining the 

 birds he shoots ; but his task would have been instructively lightened 

 had a little assistance been rendered him towards determining the 

 genera and higher groups, which, as the work stands, are left for deter- 

 mination to any prior knowledge the traveller may possess. But we 

 are, in the case of genera, perhaps asking a little too much in a work 

 of this description ; we regret, however, to see serious confusion in 

 the names of the families, and even orders, which we are at a loss to 

 account for, unless it be that pardonable oversights in the MS, have 

 not been detected by a careful revision of the proofs. 



The plates in this work are very acceptable, and have been ex- 

 ecuted by Mr. Keulemans in the style which has rendered him so 



32* 



