. Egyptian birds for the most part seen in the Nile valley . ofthe deposit of guano in them shows that they haveinhabited them for centuries. The guide-books tell of these high cliffs— suddengusts of wind from the mountain often render greatprecaution necessary in sailing beneath them ; andon the last occasion of passing there was evidenceof this, as a regular gale came on us just as we werepassing and drove us along at a great pace. Thiswildness is similar to the wild windiness of thesea-coast, and the Cormorants may in this fact findsome attraction to this inland home. But I shouldthink it i
. Egyptian birds for the most part seen in the Nile valley . ofthe deposit of guano in them shows that they haveinhabited them for centuries. The guide-books tell of these high cliffs— suddengusts of wind from the mountain often render greatprecaution necessary in sailing beneath them ; andon the last occasion of passing there was evidenceof this, as a regular gale came on us just as we werepassing and drove us along at a great pace. Thiswildness is similar to the wild windiness of thesea-coast, and the Cormorants may in this fact findsome attraction to this inland home. But I shouldthink it is far more likely still, that the foundersof that colony were birds that had been rearedin some of the other breeding-places that exist inthe great Salt Lakes of Lower Egypt, and thatby some chance taking to the river, which atMenzaleh would not be more than a mile or twoaway, found that the river fish were excellent,that life was pleasant, and the cliffs suitable forsafely nesting in. Stomach rules the world is CORMORANTSOn the Nile at Gebel THE CORMORANT 193 as true of bird life as any other. Elsewhere Ihave referred to the beauty and charm of LakeMenzaleh to all naturalists, and I do really thinkthat to get anything like a complete view ofEgyptian bird life a visit ought to be paid to someone or other of the lakes, and of course Menzalehis far and away the best and biggest. But though Isuggest a visit, I would not care to have it under-stood I recommend it as a health resort or place tolive in. I write this here, because there are twoconsiderable Cormorant rookeries or breeding-stations that I visited on Lake Menzaleh—theremay be others I did not find, but these two I didfind, and they will ever live in my memory as themost poisonous plots of earth I have ever stood have been to Cormorant rookeries before, and wellknow that they dont smell like rose-gardens. Thepeculiarity of this great lake is, that it is, andalways has been, a great drainage-bed for th
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