BIRDS AND THEIR FRIENDS. 
451 
their meal on the well-wheels, regardless of the boys who 
are engaged in driving the oxen with loud cries and cracks 
of the whip; or dart down for fish, close to the women 
engaged in drawing water from the stream. The Hooded 
Crow breeds in the public walks of the towns. The Desert 
Lark runs under the hut of the Bedouin. Turtle Doves 
have also become next door to domestic animals; they 
build in low bushes, and do not fly from the nest at the 
approach of man. The Thick-knee Plover, usually so 
shy, runs about all day on the flat roofs of the houses in 
Cairo. The Stilt wades unconcernedly up and down in 
the village ponds, which have been made for the buffaloes 
to bathe in. The lovely Buff-backed Heron follows the 
herd of cattle, living with the herdsman on terms of 
friendship. The Night Herons roost on the sycamores 
in the centre of the village. One must be fond of, 
and well acquainted with “bird-life” to estimate all 
this. 
Birds are perfectly aware that they can implicitly trust 
the Arab: no young scamp ever thinks of robbing their 
nest; no sportsman is lying in wait near their bower to kill 
the newly-fledged youngsters ! In the eyes of the Arab, 
the naturalist, even, who only destroys an occasional pair 
of birds, or takes an egg or two for the purposes of science, 
is not held to be excused. They have often called 
down the curse of heaven upon my head for so doing; 
and, indeed, my brown servants used to tremble for me, 
fancying, as they said, that the curse was bound to take 
effect. I never abused them in return, for I could 
but admire the feelings which inspired them on these 
occasions: sentiments so noble and so deeply founded, 
that I have almost dreaded the curse, despite of 
myself. 
