126 RAMBLES OF A NATURALIST. 
1769. My references are to the English edition, which has 
a different pagination from the original. Nearly half the 
book is about the Natural History of Egypt, and thirty- 
five birds are enumerated with remarks. His letters (re- 
printed from the Literary News of Stockholm,) extend from 
the spring of 1750 to the spring of 1751, during all which 
time it is believed he was either at Alexandria or Cairo. 
They are full of references to Natural History. He died at 
Smyrna on the oth of February, 1752, and to Linnzus the 
Queen of Sweden committed the task of arranging and 
publishing his notes. 
The title of Savigny’s work is “Explication Sommaire 
des Planches dont les dessins ont été fournis par I. C. Savigny 
pour l’histoire naturelle de l’ouvrage—Oiseaux de’ Egypte 
et de la Syrie—par Victor Audouin.” I learn from the 
preface that some of the drawings are by M. Prétre, the rest 
by M. Savigny, and that the letterpress is by M. Audouin, 
assisted by M. Payrandeau (cf, p. 286). It appears that 
M. Savigny was unable—owing to illness—to complete his 
work, but as Government required its publication, the 
Minister of the Interior assigned the office of editor to 
M. Audouin, Savigny’s former pupil. 
Sonini’s “Travels in Upper and Lower Egypt,” 1799, 
can hardly be called an ornithological book, though a great 
many notes on birds are scattered through his three volumes. 
The accuracy of some of his remarks, as that on the flight 
of the Pelican, I can fully confirm; at the same time I 
think he is mistaken in the names of several birds; fort 
instance, he mentions both the Titmouse and the Wood- 
pecker, two genera which have never professed even to come 
to Egypt. He informs us that the quantity of Quails at 
Alexandria (on their migration) is really past belief. Four 
were to be had at the market for three farthings. “The 
crews of merchant ships were fed upon them; and there 
existed at the consul’s office at Alexandria several com- 
