to the Ornithology of Egypt. 415 



LOCUSTELLA LUSCINIOIDES LUSCINIOIDES (Savi). 



Pseudoluscinia luscinioides (Savi), Shelley^ p. 89; Loat, 

 Ibis, 1905, p. 455. 



On March 20th, 1910, I found several Savi's Warblers 

 amongst some dried bulrushes close to a fresh- water spring, 

 and on every subsequent day during my stay I met with 

 this bird in similar situations. 



Savi's Warbler is one of the most skulking birds I know 

 and I found it exceedingly difficult to shoot. I obtained 

 most of my specimens by walking through the bulrushes 

 and shooting the birds as they rose almost at my feet. 



On March 23rd I shot a single specimen amongst some 

 dried reeds on the edge of a Salt Lake. Undoubtedly it 

 was a fresh arrival — mere skin and bone — whereas the 

 others obtained were very fat. When on the ground 

 Savi's Warbler did not " hop " but " waddled " along 

 like a parrot ! 



It is interesting to note that on the same day, i. e. 

 March 23rd, when I shot the very thin example of Savi's 

 Warbler, a strong gale had been blowing for thirty-six 

 hours ; and on the 23rd, Yellow Wagtails — which had 

 increased in numbers — were very thin and half-starved. 

 Swallows [Hirimdo rustica) were so hungry that they 

 fluttered close round my feet as I walked, trying to catch 

 the insects disturbed by my passage. So fearless were 

 these birds and so close did they come that I had to keep 

 stopping in order to avoid kicking them. 



On these two days most of the insectivorous birds were 

 taking shelter in the cultivated land, where also house-flies 

 had retired in vast numbers, and amongst the small 

 Eucalyptus trees I found both birds aod flies swarming. 

 The latter made collecting almost impossible, as they settled 

 on ray face in clouds. The Swallows and Wagtails had 

 evidently not discovered this abundant source of food 

 supply, as all of them were searching for food on the open 

 desert, which had been swept clear of insects by the gale. 



