. Egyptian birds for the most part seen in the Nile Valley . TIAN KITE Milvus aegyptius Arabic, Hiddayer Plumage—Head and neck grey; back and wings darkbrown, under parts a rufous brown, the edges of the featherslighter than the centres, which have a dusky streak, whilst thetail is broadly barred. Cere and legs yellow. This Kite, which is seen everywhere, is not theKite which we have accounts of as being oncecommon in England, and which could be seen longyears ago flying round St. Pauls Cathedral; but itis a true Egyptian native. I have it from menwho have lived long in Egypt, through summeras
. Egyptian birds for the most part seen in the Nile Valley . TIAN KITE Milvus aegyptius Arabic, Hiddayer Plumage—Head and neck grey; back and wings darkbrown, under parts a rufous brown, the edges of the featherslighter than the centres, which have a dusky streak, whilst thetail is broadly barred. Cere and legs yellow. This Kite, which is seen everywhere, is not theKite which we have accounts of as being oncecommon in England, and which could be seen longyears ago flying round St. Pauls Cathedral; but itis a true Egyptian native. I have it from menwho have lived long in Egypt, through summeras well as winter, that in the really hot monthsthis bird is practically the only feathered fowl oneever does see during those glaring months. Theremay be other birds left in the country, but youdo not see them; they wisely keep out of sight inwhatever isolated shaded place they can find. TheKite alone bears the full glare of that broiling sun,ever on the look out for every chance of a mouth-ful of any decaying nastiness it can secure, and 30 EGYPTIAN KITE. THE PARASITIC KITE 31 in this is the secret of its privileged position;unmolested even in the busiest haunts of men,secure in crowded city or up-country village, itsservices as scavenger are invaluable, and whenevery other bird has fled it never for a day quitsits post or ceases its labours. We will spare the reader a detailed menu ofthis omnivorous bird, but all who visit Egyptought to bless it, as until some enlightened systemof sanitation is adopted, this bird, almost unaided,makes the land possible to live in, or to be visitedwith any safety or pleasure. If it were exterminatedas the Kites have been in Great Britain, it is almostimpossible to exaggerate what would be the direresults to the health of the newcomers to thisold Eastern country. Mercifully there seems nosort of chance of its numbers decreasing. Indeed,in 1908 I saw behind the New Winter PalaceHotel at Luxor, a flock which certainly ran intohundreds; two dead
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