PRODUCTS. 251 them when collecting insects in their company in a meadow, for they were far quicker in picking them up than I was, and would frequently snatch a beetle away from me when I had my hand upon it. The sacred ibis, of the ancient Egyptians, appears to be a native of Kordofan : it builds its nest on trees in the villages, and I have often counted from twenty to fifty of them on one tree. I have altogether seldom seen animals living as peacably among themselves as these birds. They hatch their young, two in number,—rarely three,—during the rainy season ; they enjoy the same good opinion of men as the storks, but even to a greater degi*ee ; for when I was about to kill a few, near the house of Sultan Teme, at Lobeid, he said very solemnly : " Rather shoot all the fowls in my court, than one of these ibises, which have come to my trees to build their nests, and sought my protection." When the young birds are full grovn, the old ones migrate, and return with the first fall of rain. I could not find out where they resort to during the dry season ; in the time of the ancient Egyptians, they evidently went to Egypt, a.s the many thousands of ibis-vases met with at Sakara and in other situations would prove ; but at present they are never to be seen in that country. I have, indeed, occasionally observed a single bird of this species on the White River, as late as the month of April ; but I suppose these to have been invalids incapable of following the flight.

The ostrich may be reckoned among the most