scarabaeus of the ancients. Locusts
are comparatively rare. The scorpion, whose sting is sometimes fatal,
is common. There are many large and poisonous spiders and flies; fleas
and mosquitoes abound. Fish are plentiful in the Nile, both scaled and
without scales. The scaly fish include members of the carp and perch
kind. The _bayad_, a scaleless fish commonly eaten, reaches sometimes
3-1/2 ft. in length. A somewhat rare fish is the _Polypterus_, which
has thick bony scales and 16 to 18 long dorsal fins. The _Tetrodon_,
or ball fish, is found in the Red Sea, as well as in the Nile.

Some 300 species of birds are found in Egypt, and one of the most
striking features of a journey up the Nile is the abundance of bird
life. Many of the species are sedentary, others are winter visitants,
while others again simply pass through Egypt on their way to or from
warmer or colder regions. Birds of prey are very numerous, including
several varieties of eagles--the osprey, the spotted, the golden and
the imperial. Of vultures the black and white Egyptian variety
(_Neophron percnopterus_) is most common. The griffon and the black
vulture are also frequently seen. There are many kinds of kites,
falcons and hawks, kestrel being numerous. The long-legged buzzard is
found throughout Egypt, as are owls. The so-called Egyptian eagle owl
(_Bubo ascalaphus_) is rather rare, but the barn owl is common. The
kingfisher is found beside every watercourse, a black and white
species (_Ceryle rudis_) being much more numerous than the common
kingfisher. Pigeons and hoopoes abound in every village. There are
various kinds of plovers--the black-headed species (_Pluvianus
Aegyptius_) is most numerous in Upper Egypt; the golden plover and the
white-tailed species are found chiefly in the Delta. The spurwing is
supposed to be the bird mentioned by Herodotus as eating the parasites
covering the inside of the mouth of the crocodile. Of game-birds the
most plentiful are sandgrouse, quail (a bird of passage) and snipe.
Red-legged and other partridges are found in the eastern desert and
the Sinai hills. Of aquatic birds there is a great variety. Three
species of pelican exist, including the large Dalmatian pelican.
Storks, cranes, herons and spoonbills are common. The sacred ibis is
not found in Egypt, but the buff-backed heron, the constant companion
of the buffalo, is usually called an ibis. T