40 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 
can be called anything more than a twitter,) and heeded 
not my approach until I could almost have touched her; 
and before I had gone three yards she was back again. I 
quite felt for the unlucky little bird, as I watched her trying 
to restore her partner to life by every means in her power, 
and wailing out her lamentations at her vain efforts. The 
House Martin was so far affected by the same cold wind of 
March 27th, that I found many in the early morning upon 
the sand, and others clinging to the mud-brick walls which 
partition off the gardens. I caught some with my hat, 
which will give an idea of their extreme feebleness. 
While enumerating the principal birds, I wish also to 
make some mention of other animals. Once I shot what I 
supposé to have been a Short-tailed Marmot, and occasion- 
ally I could have shot Hares, but did not, as they would 
have been too much trouble to carry home. I brought 
back to England a Panther’s skin, a brace of Boar tusks, a fine 
head of Gazelle, Gazella dorcas, (of my own preparing) 
and several curiosities in mythellated spirits, including a 
Chameleon exactly like one of my father’s, which he had 
alive and kept a long time by feeding it on meal worms. 
In every direction are to be seen the singular footprints of 
the Jerboa, or jumping mouse, whose holes perforate the 
plain. I got one and kept it alive some days. I found two 
huge frogs at the foot of a garden wall, on the edge of 
the marsh. Large Lizards were often brought in. Con- 
cerning them and Serpents I shall have something to say in 
another place. On the brink of the stream which feeds the 
small and half-dry marsh, there are a good many water 
tortoises. When one gets near them they slip into the deep 
water like English flounders. Ido not remember having- 
ever seen any Butterflies, but Beetles of every size and 
shape swarm. The Ant of the desert digs a curious struc-. 
ture, though not on the scale of magnitude of its more 
