383 The Wilson Bulletin — No. 92 



derah, where a flock was quietly feeding among piles of 

 doura stalks, and the conduct of these birds was in marked 

 contrast with that of House Sparrows, which were hurling 

 vituperations from their vantage places on the mud walls. 



A little beyond the Sparrows were the first Blue-throated 

 Warblers (Cyanecula suecica) seen by me. That was a glor- 

 ious morning and held other charms aside from the first meet- 

 ings with interesting birds. The temperature was more com- 

 fortable, it having risen to 50°, which was four and six de- 

 grees warmer than on previous mornings ; the air was fresh, 

 and the surface of the river shone like burnished silver. By 

 rising at the first streak of dawn, omitting breakfast, and 

 having my donkey boy follow with his animal for the return 

 ride, I was able to enjoy the singing birds and the walk of a 

 mile or more to the temple of Denderah in advance of the 

 shouting, dust-raising crowd. 



The schedule for the Nile boats, sagaciously planned after 

 the fashion of a feast that offers the more dainty viands 

 toward its close, reserved the visit to Abydos for the return 

 journey, so it came about that the most enjoyable trips to the 

 temples were the first (which was to Denderah) and the last, 

 to Abydos. The roads to both lay between well cultivated 

 fields and afforded the best opportunities I had for seeing 

 the field birds. Baliana, the Nile port of disembarkation for 

 Abydos, was reached about four o'clock in the afternoon of 

 February 35, and the rest of the day was given to walks in 

 the environs of that village. On the following morning the 

 ride bv carriage over fairly good roads to the ruins of Aby- 

 dos presented various interesting features aside from those 

 connected with avian life and death. All along the route 

 small boys, armed with slings, were shooting at the birds. 

 Very likely their slings differed slightly, if at all, from that 

 used by the lad David, son of Jesse ; and it is safe to argue 

 that his skill was acquired by practice in shooting at birds. 

 The birds seen most frequently that day in the order of their 

 relative abundance were Crested Larks, White Wagtails, 



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