12 EGYPTIAN BIRDS 
enormous areas of some of the best feeding-grounds 
imaginable for water-fowl, and the fowl know it; 
nowhere can be seen more variety of duck, and 
herons, and waders, and shore birds, than at Lake 
Menzaleh. Elsewhere, I have already referred to 
my visit in March and April to this little known 
part of Egypt, and I wish that those who say this 
is “a birdless land,” would only go and stay a few 
days at Kantara, Matariya, Damietta or Port Said, 
and then see if they could still call it “birdless.” The 
extreme north and east side of the lake is separated 
only from the Mediterranean by a narrow bank of 
sand. Its waters are brackish, the Nile contributes 
but little to its bulk, and the opinion is largely 
held that if it could be made to contribute more, 
the food supply for the fish in it would be consider- 
ably increased, to the very great benefit of the fish 
supply of the country. Every village and town on 
the lake has many fishermen with boats out night and 
day. They catch a very large quantity, but it is 
said every year the size of the fish caught is steadily 
decreasing, and to increase the food-supply for the 
fish is now the aim of the authorities. This matter 
does not immediately affect the birds, as they love 
the small fry, but if Lake Menzaleh were to once 
lose its value as a supplier of profitable fish food, 
