[1] ἔστι δὲ χῶρος τῆς Ἀραβίης κατὰ Βουτοῦν πόλιν μάλιστά κῃ κείμενος, καὶ {[ἐς τοῦτο] [τὸ χωρίον] [ἦλθον]} {[πυνθανόμενος] [περὶ] [τῶν πτερωτῶν ὀφίων]}: {[ἀπικόμενος]} δὲ εἶδον ὀστέα ὀφίων καὶ ἀκάνθας πλήθεϊ μὲν ἀδύνατα ἀπηγήσασθαι, σωροὶ δὲ ἦσαν ἀκανθέων καὶ μεγάλοι καὶ ὑποδεέστεροι καὶ ἐλάσσονες ἔτι τούτων, πολλοὶ δὲ ἦσαν οὗτοι. [2] {[ἔστι δὲ] [ὁ χῶρος οὗτος], 《[ἐν τῷ] [αἱ ἄκανθαι] [κατακεχύαται]》, [τοιόσδε τις]}, {[ἐσβολὴ] [ἐξ ὀρέων στεινῶν] [ἐς πεδίον μέγα]}, {[τὸ δὲ πεδίον τοῦτο] [συνάπτει] [τῷ Αἰγυπτίῳ πεδίῳ]}. [3] [λόγος δὲ] [ἐστὶ] [ἅμα τῷ ἔαρι] [πτερωτοὺς ὄφις] [ἐκ τῆς Ἀραβίης πέτεσθαι] [ἐπ᾽ Αἰγύπτου], τὰς δὲ ἴβις τὰς ὄρνιθας ἀπαντώσας ἐς τὴν ἐσβολὴν ταύτης τῆς χώρης οὐ παριέναι τοὺς ὄφις ἀλλὰ κατακτείνειν. [4] καὶ τὴν ἶβιν [διὰ τοῦτο] [τὸ ἔργον] τετιμῆσθαι λέγουσι Ἀράβιοι μεγάλως πρὸς Αἰγυπτίων: ὁμολογέουσι δὲ καὶ Αἰγύπτιοι διὰ ταῦτα τιμᾶν τὰς ὄρνιθας ταύτας.
[1] There is a place in Arabia not far from the town of Buto where I went to learn about the winged serpents. When I arrived there, I saw innumerable bones and backbones of serpents: many heaps of backbones, great and small and even smaller. [2] This place, where the backbones lay scattered, is where a narrow mountain pass opens into a great plain, which adjoins the plain of Egypt. [3] Winged serpents are said to fly from Arabia at the beginning of spring, making for Egypt; but the ibis birds encounter the invaders in this pass and kill them. [4] The Arabians say that the ibis is greatly honored by the Egyptians for this service, and the Egyptians give the same reason for honoring these birds.