48 EGYPTIAN BIRDS 
casual visitor to the British Isles; but there it is at 
once shot, as soon as seen, and is then mounted by 
the local taxidermist. Few collections of stuffed 
birds, however modest, are without examples of 
British-killed Hoopoes. That it will ever therefore 
become common with us is impossible, but that it 
might be a regular visitor is certain, for, as long 
as there have been any records kept, its appearance 
in the summer has been noted, and no farther than 
the Continent it is a regular and honoured visitor. 
The last Hoopoe I saw in Egypt was on April 6, 
on Lake Menzaleh; it rose from a mere scrap of 
an island all soft sand, and headed to the dunes 
that separate the lake from the Mediterranean, 
and the last I saw of it, was it still flying with 
its head pointed to European shores. 
