‘86, RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 
most of the other Egyptian monuments, that is to say, none 
at all. 
Our first sight ornithologically speaking, was perplexing, 
for we passed some men carrying Greek Partridges and 
Pheasants, where from I cannot say, but certainly not from 
Rosetta, the locality given me. It was unfortunate that 
the latter were soiled, for specimens of the true unmixed 
breed are not easy to get in England. 
Let me here mention that there are two birdstuffers in 
Alexandria, M.M. Piacentini and Mayer ; but the former had 
no stock, and appeared to have almost given up the business, 
(or the business to have given him up,) and the latter talked 
of moving to Cairo, where I should think he might meet with 
some custom from the numerous influential visitors who 
take up birds for pastime or for study. 
It may also be serviceable to others to say that the 
gunmaker is Mr. W. Redding, behind St. Mark’s Church; 
and the gunmaker at Cairo, M. Cassegrain. They supply 
fair powder at a price, and central-fire cartridges. 
The railway journey from Alexandria to Cairo was the 
most interesting I ever made, for the line skirts Lake 
Mareotis, and every moment I kept seeing some new species 
of bird which I had never beheld in the live state before, so 
that we laid the commencement of that long list of species 
observed, which ultimately reached 223,—a number, I think 
I may safely say, never surpassed by any other observer in 
one tour in Egypt. 
This line was constructed in 1851, and was the first rail- 
way ever made in Egypt. Now there are railways to 
Minieh, Damietta, Zagazig, and Suez; and the Khedive’s 
engineers are even constructing one in Soudan. Formerly 
it was all praise to him for his enterprizing spirit, but now 
men begin to say that if he saps the public funds much 
more, he will permanently diminish the country’s resources, 
