86 TRAVELS TO THE EAST. 
fields at this time : here they find in great abundance 
their proper food, from the number of frogs that 
cover the country when the waters decreafe, and 
multiply extremely during the time of the flood. The 
bird, by feeking its proper food, does the country a 
fingular fervice, freeing it from vermin; which, were 
they to remain and rot, would certainly occafion a 
flench mortal to men and beads. Thisbird never leaves 
Egypt. 1 have feen it all the time the country was dry, 
but never in fuch numbers as now in certain places, 
as they can then range over the whole country ; but 
now the water obliges them to feek for dry places. 
When the frogs are not fo numerous, it lives on 
little grafhoppers, and other infe&s which are never 
wanting in the burning fields of Egypt; and they 
would certainly be in much greater numbers, if 
they had not this enemy. I have {hot it in both 
feafons of the year, but found a remarkable differ- 
ence in its fatnefs, which proves that at this time it 
gets greater plenty of proper nourifhment. i he ac- 
counts of Bellonius concerning the birds that come to 
Egypt during the overflowing of the Nile, are very 
juft. About noon we came to the large Pyra- 
mids. Thofe of my companions who had not feen 
the inward conftru&ion of the largeft went in, and 
I took the opportunity of looking for natural curio- 
fities. I found none but fuch as I had feen here be- 
fore, except a fine black Jafper, which will bear a good 
polifh. The remarkable Rat (Mus Jacnlus) which 
the Egyptians call Gerbua, or Yerbua, and which 
1 have already defcribed (Act. Upfal. 1750, p. I7-) 
and the little thin Lizard, which I faw here for the 
fir ft time (Lacerta iEgyptiaca). This was by the 
ancient Egyptians fo far honoured, as to have 
image engraved on an antique jacinth in my pofleb 
feffion. I now determined to put in execution my 
1 intentio 11 
