188 EGYPTIAN BIRDS 
Queen Hatshepsut’s temple stands, I worked hard 
at trying to sketch them till my eyes got blinded 
by staring up into the blue, and aching with trying 
to follow some individual bird sweeping right above 
my head. None but those who have tried it knows 
what an exhausting thing this is; every bird is 
changing its place continually, one after another 
comes sweeping by, turning, rising, falling, inter- 
lacing, till one has to absolutely cease looking and 
close one’s weary eyes. I heard later the rumour 
that this great flock rested the night on the top of 
one of the hills a mile farther back, and at dawn 
were all away south. 
Where, however, they can be still seen through- 
out the winter months and comparatively close at 
hand is on Lake Menzaleh. I saw them there in 
March, but by the 12th of April I could not see a 
single bird. The wonderful colour, a pale coral 
pink, that they show under the bright Egyptian sky, 
is something of a surprise to those who have only 
seen faded stuffed specimens in a museum, or the 
woebegone individuals in a menagerie. No one 
interested in birds should neglect the Cairo Zoo- 
logical Gardens at Giza; there you will see all sorts 
of hot climate beasts and birds in the perfection of 
condition that they never show in our colder climes. 
