SIX MONTHS’ BIRD COLLECTING IN EGYPT. 127 
plaints preferred by mariners against their captains, for 
giving them nothing but Quails to eat” (III., p. 321). Ex- 
traordinary as this may appear, I can quite believe it from 
what I have seen and heard.* 
He gives a lengthy account of the habits of the Egyptian 
Dove, and mentions two instances of nests on window-sills 
where he was lodging. In more than one place also he 
mentions the abundance of the White Wagtail. At p. 202 
of Vol. II. he remarks—* There is no kind of bird more 
plentiful in Egypt. * iy * Some of them came 
into the vessel’s cabin during our voyage upon the Nile, 
and would feed close by our sides with engaging security.” 
At p. 136 of Vol. II., he has rather an interesting note on 
the Ostrich. I could not hear that these birds are ever to 
be found in Egypt now, though I believe that fresh eggs 
are to be sometimes bought at Assouan. Their plumes are 
often brought there, together with native spears, ebony clubs, 
and monkey skins, from the Soudan. 
It only remains for me to acknowledge the special civility 
of M. Eugene Filliponi of Damietta, who has enriched this 
volume by a list of all the Arab names of birds he has been 
able to collect in that neighbourhood. I beg to acknow- 
ledge myself greatly indebted to him for his courtesy in 
furnishing this very valuable contribution. Mr. T. B. 
Hughes had collected twenty-four such names, and I had 
also collected a few, but I have determined to give the 
preference to M. Filliponi’s names in every case. I have 
added a few which he omitted, viz., the Nightingale, English 
Turtle Dove, Kingfisher, (and Bat) on Mr. Hughes’ authority ; 
and the Neophron Vulture, Little Owl, Egyptian Turtle 
© At p. 510 of Sir T. F. Buxton’s Memoirs I find the following :— 
“Sir Thomas Cullum told me that on the 2nd of May, two or three 
years ago, he found upon enquiry that duty had been paid on 80,000 
Quails. Pretty well for one day.” This was in Italy, about the year 
1837, 
