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differed from the other vultures, both in size and colour, and 
I examined these rarities with the glass when but a short 
distance from them. We stopped the steamer and tried to 
stalk the wary birds, but our attempt was unhappily quite 
unsuccessful. 
I never saw the Bearded Vulture (Gypaétus barbatus) 
either in the Arabian mountains or in those of Palestine, 
though it appears to be not so very rare in both; but I ob- 
served this splendid Vulture-Eagle in the rocky range that 
marks the boundary of the desert in the province of Fayaim. 
I had already heard that it does occasionally, but very rarely, 
visit the frontier mountains of Egypt in its wanderings, and 
was therefore delighted at seeing an immature bird in the 
dark plumage circling several times above the rocks of the 
izland of Bezire-el-Karin. 
I had also two opportunities of observing the Egyptian 
Eagle-Owl (Bubo ascalaphus), which in Northern Africa 
takes the place of our Hagle-Owl (Bubo maaimus), but is 
somewhat smaller and very variable in colour. I first saw 
this beautiful bird at the pyramids of Gizeh, while we were 
making the Arabs beat them for jackals. Just as the drive 
was almost over one of these owls left the third small pyramid 
and flew warily off into the desert, but it was unfortunately 
so far from me that I could not get a good shot. I again 
met with it at Medinet Abu, and could easily have killed it. 
I was sitting one evening at the foot of the high desert 
mountains, when shortly after sundown an owl came from 
the hills and flew towards the plain, passing me quite close 
and low. My keen love of sport, however, overcame my 
ornithological instincts, and not wishing to spoil one of my 
usually successful night expeditions after the larger beasts of 
prey, I did not fire. 
I never met with the European Bee-eater (Merops apiaster) 
in Egypt, though I went up to the Nubian frontier, which 
