EGYPTIAN EAGLE OWL 43 
I could see it stretch out its legs forward as 
it settled on to some favourite ledge of rock, 
and turning its great head round, so that I could 
see its glorious coloured eyes, would utter a still 
louder booming challenge. This was so absolutely 
regular that when working I knew exactly where 
certain purple-blue shadows would be across the 
face of the otherwise golden cliff-side, when I 
heard its first call. Twice I had one in cap- 
tivity ; one died, but the other seemed to recover 
so well from a damaged wing, that as soon as I 
had finished the studies needed, I decided to let 
it go free, and let it out; but, stupefied by 
confinement, or else because the wing was not 
really strong enough to make flight easy, it only 
hopped and walked about in a rather aimless 
way, and was in danger of being attacked by the 
dogs of our camp. So I had to catch, and in 
my arms carry my captive right high up the 
Deir-el-Bahari cliffs—and any that have been 
there know what that means—and at a safe place 
near a cleft I had often seen them at, set it 
free; neither then, nor during my toil up that 
cliff was I rewarded by the slightest sign of 
gratitude ; on the contrary, hissing viciously and 
clawing right and left with its big talons, intent 
