SIX MONTHS’ BIRD COLLECTING IN EGYPT. 205 
great flocks were slowly sailing grandly round—in magnifi- 
cent circles, This was in the second week in March. Their 
pinions were almost motionless, their necks were stretched 
a little downwards, and their whole appearance was 
majestic. Perhaps moved by curiosity, they came right 
over the Diabeyha, and I then saw that it was not a game of 
“follow-my-leader,” but that each marked out its own circle 
and took its own separate course. 
At other times they might be seen on the ground, march- 
ing off with great strides, like a much better drilled regiment 
of soldiers than any the Viceroy has. I believe it is con- 
sidered a great feat to shoot a Crane, as they are notoriously 
shy and wary birds. Only once was it our luck todoso. On 
the 27th of February we had gone out for a long walk near 
Minieh, and we came upon a pair in an open field. They 
were standing still with their heads bent down to the ground, 
and really they looked such large brown creatures that it 
was difficult to believe they were birds at all. On one side 
of the field were some beans about three feet high, on the 
other a yellowish crop like mustard. Mr. Russell hid him- 
self in the former, and I, taking a circuit, concealed myself 
in the latter. When plenty of time had been allowed us, 
the Cranes were put up and made straight for the beans. 
I heard two reports, and saw one bird go on: this was the 
cock. Mr. Russell had shot the hen. If he had killed it 
with his first barrel he would easily have got both. It 
weighed eleven pounds. We tied it to a large stick, and I 
fancy the Arab who carried it on board was not sorry when 
that job was over. The red skin on the head turned black 
next day, and red again after it was skinned. The length 
as noted down at the time was forty inches ; the expanse 
fifty-one. I looked for the ova of parasites on the axillaries 
which I had found in all my British specimens, but there 
were not any. 
No doubt Hasselquist was correct in supposing that the 
