SIX MONTHS’ BIRD COLLECTING IN EGYPT. 239 
of this species; I cannot say, as we never shot one. I 
found a dead one one day, but it was too far gone to 
examine. We meta Diabeyha returning from the second 
cataract with some skins on board. The only one we were 
fortunate enough to get was a small grey bird at the Faioum. 
When the breast was cut open it was found to have bled so 
profusely, that a spoon had to be used to ladle out the 
blood. Its beak was 112 along the ridge, carpus 22 inches. 
There were a good many on the lake in similar plumage. 
They had white backs, and a white pouch and legs, and 
beak very pale. We judged them to be birds of last year. 
Several persons asserted that they did not breed on the 
lake, but I should think that they would probably be found 
to do so if it was well searched, especially as some old ones 
were also seen there. 
It was the most absurd sight possible to see a Pelican 
sitting in a leafless tamarisk bush very little bigger than 
himself, yet that was their favourite perch. How the splay 
feet manage to hold on I cannot think. They are withal a 
cautious bird, for long before the punt has got within shot 
the Pelican has slipped off (without any commotion), and is 
sailing away nearly as fast as you can row. With his head 
turned he steadily looks back at the pursuer, while he 
breasts the waves, he calculates the distance to a nicety, 
and then he very leisurely raises his wings (leaving the 
water with none of the Flamingo’s awkwardness), gives two 
or three flaps, and sails, and then two or three more flaps 
low over the water, you think he is going to alight every 
time he glides, after his great flaps; the tamarisks have 
their roots deep down in the water, and a good many fish 
may be seen basking near with their backs above water. 
Probably these are the attraction to the Pelicans. We 
thought that they minded the sail of the punt, as the native 
boats have no sail, so I tried to get near them ina large 
fishing boat, but they minded that still more. 
