'The Expedition for the survey of the rivers Euphrates and Tigris, carried on by order of the British government, in the years 1835, 1836, and 1837; preceded by geographical and historical notices of the regions situated between the rivers Nile and Indus. In four volumes. With fourteen maps and charts, and embellished with ninety-seven plates, besides numerous wood-cuts. Volume the first.' [‎588] (679/905)

588
BIRDS.
[CHAP. XXII.
Manner of kin- When the nest is found, the Arabs dig a hole in the ground
mg ostriches. near ^ e gg Sj an( j p U t into it a loaded gun, having fastened
to the lock a lighted match; the gun is pointed towards the
eggs, and being covered with stones the Arabs retire. Towards
evening the ostriches return, and not perceiving any enemy
resume their places, generally both at once, upon the eggs;
the gun in due time is discharged, and the Arab finds next
morning one of the ostriches, or frequently both, killed upon
the spot. 1
The mkhama. Another large bird occasionally appeared passing southward
in such great flocks as to cover the swelling hills of north
western Arabia with their tall erect figures ; seen on the hills
at a distance they looked like a force clad in pale gray, with
sentinels and outposts carefully placed on the flanks to give
notice of the approach of an enemy from any quarter. All
our efforts failed in approaching this wary bird even within
rifle distance. It appeared to stretch its head upwards like
the ostrich to a height of more than four feet, and was uni
formly of a pale gray colour, like the heron; the name given
to it by the Arabs was rukhama.
Various other In another place, the tall bird called tair-el-raouf, which
frequents the north-western border of Arabia, has been
described f and the general list in the Appendix contains the
cinereous, the Gesnerian, and other vultures, bonellis and
other eagles, several falcons, four kinds of owl, pelicans of the
largest size, also a variety of aigrettes and king-fishers, the
kat, a kind of pigeon, covering the plain in thousands, also
different sorts of bustard; the same list will show that crows,
sparrows, and almost all other European birds and tame
fowls are here to be found.
It is understood that in Nedjd and the southern parts of
the territory, the pheasant, the jungle-fowl, the Guinea-fowl,
also a bird with beautiful plumage, called thaer-el-hind, are
met with; and Niehbuhr notices some about Aden, but they
are as yet undescribed.
Reptiles. Among the reptiles and insects are serpents of several kinds,
1 Burckhardt's Bedawin and Wahhdbi, p. 123; also Colonel Capper's
Journey to India, pp. 62 and 68. 2 See above, p. 444.