New-York tribune., 1909-11-17

The Macmillan Company.
Egypt. evidently. is rivslling Italy as
the scene ~ the tourists adventures. At
oil events. the books written about il ar
rapidly increa sing in number. Every one
e. now writing impression 81 the Nilc.
This is a fact on which one rcfccts with
some dubiety. but. ON the other hand, il
is Sood To see that some authors who
rally know their Egypt are making
books that are Il substantial value one
such MAS published not long ago i'm Mr..
@ &. Piers Inscriptions on Nilc Monu-
monts," work well calculated 10 add TO
the travellers information and pleasure.
and noN we have another similarly ser
Niocable volume an Mr. Mhymper's
Egyptian Birds" Just as Mr. Pier has
observed. and has sought to correct. the
helpless attitude az The lsyman before
some ancient wall bearing its dark web
o. hierogiyphs. so this naturalist and
artist has bern moved 20 answer the fire.
ouont question. ~ hat is the name of
that bird" He answers Il in charming
text and picture.
The sportsman Is. Of course. familiar
hsu-e ON the Nile, bat his activities have
mo- seriously affected bird life. More
over. within the considerable areas con
trolled by the Antiquities Department NJ
guns are allowed. and accordingly Mr..
Wfympc- has had every opportunity 10
pursue his researches In the best circum-
stances. He describes a wonderful vsri-
ETY. of birds. and some Of his types are
very beautiful Curiously. the grandest
bird he celebrates Is The Griffon Vulture.
This carrion creature is not only repul-
siVe to watch when he H. at one Of his
dreadful meals. bat he has. when afoot.
a sleepy. dun and heavy look. and his
gait on the ground is. We gather ciumSi-
ness itself But once Il; him spread his
wings and ne is. according 10 MIR.
Mhympcr. tho king Of aying things A
seagull. swallow. an eagle. and many
another he says, ARE sll splendid in
their graceful mastery over. and use o.
the air We live i'm. but FOR sheer ma jesty
Of dominion ! know no equal % the Grif-
ION Nulturc" Tho bird has. too. i'm Mr.
Nhymper's picture, q spiendidly militant
aspect Judging again from tho illustra-
tions-W hich. by the way. arc well repro
duUed ia colors--it is 70 b. inferred that
the most picturesque Of Egyptian birds
IS the Hoopoe. an amazing little type of
the most obnoxious habits. but possessed
~ long and graceful bin and a mag
riicont crest Of rusty orange tipped with
black. The common and black and
white kinghshers are lovely birds, but
perhaps tho most enchanting of all Of
those portrayed 10y Mr. Whymper is the
10 haE
the sunshine. il must look ike some
magical iowcl
ApTopos or this bird, which is caught
hy tho native BOYS and sald 90 the tour
ist, Mr. WhymPer notes that he has no
b"lief in the Egyptians love FOR birds. OF
anything other than backsheesh II s.
indeed. good thing that along parts ~
Tho Nile IL least the birds arc protected
Abiding elsewhere 10 the Sacred Ibis. he
records another phase - native fIrpi-
iude. Every drsgoman ~iH pretend 80
SNOW yeu, soon or later. . specimen Of
this bird. but II tho traveller happens 20
hs an oruithologist he win know that tho
drsgoman rs living and thst " hst he is
looking ar is an Egret = Spoouhill or a
Bur backed Heron Tho author states
that this brd. which the Egyptians re-
Earded - sacred. mummifvine II and
making IL symbol II the god Tho,h.
''who presided Over arts. iuventiopq.
writing and literature" cannot he found
~ Egypt ~ all but must 6c looked for
\ }far 40 the south from this portentous
eird let as turn to the conIfn"n hooded
crow - Ia pt Here is the old story
y hich Mr WhymDrr has 20 tell about IL.
n vas entirely owing 30 = certain Cro-.
~ are fola. thar cairo got i's name for
y seems thai whom fho architect was
nishnlng olf %" city no arranged rhsf
tho nrst sfone - thp great surrounding
wall SHOULD DO laid ~ q particular mo
nfenf dictated hr tho asrrrloEerg THIS
n0oTnfnt Was 20 be made known 20 the
.fftl'e't hL VIC rGi1ng ~ = cord extend
ing iron, "a hero he ras 10 Tho place who're
mo astrologoTs were assembled The mo
ncntous dsv sTrivrd. fhe arclitorf awaited
Tho signal aud suddenly tho cord was
shaken. ana the stone was laid sut !,
horrid pistsko had leeu madt Th. ss-
wreiei,cd old crow hsd @ hcaT,ir '1.sl nercso5 =
upon n. and, shaken bv Ills weight the
Nniuckv signal WAS givcn' From The yexa-
n9n caused az this in"idcni tho city was
called kahira uhr ''ueNaiiouS' or .'up-
lucky. kaHira, softencd soon became
Cairo
This note is charact ristic Mr Whym-
per writes in the first place as a lover -
birds. with an artistic feeling for their
beauty. but he has also been touched by
The spell ~ Egypt, and his book contains
many passage relating 10 the legends
"r history ~ tho land and 10 IFS special
atmosphcre. n is = good book. which So
Journers by the Nile will treasure.
Two books established the rsputstion
~ NT Maurice Hewlett some ten years
sso. In "Earthwork OUt - Tuscany"
b. annnarnl p. ID. iLnacina1ll-- css..-l.t