134 Letters, Extracts from Correspondence, Notices, ^c. 



cristata is N. pucheranii, Hartl.] Mr. Layard continues as fol- 

 lows : — 



"Nearly all our Swallows and Swifts are come. Hirundo 

 rustica arrived September 1st; on the 2nd, Ci/pselus leucorrhous ; 

 on the 5th, C. apus; 13th, H. capensis; and today (18th), C. 

 alpinus and C. apus in thousands. The two still wanting are 

 H. paludicola and H. ruhrifrons. These are probably in the 

 colony, but have not yet fallen under my notice. H. paludicola 

 is generally the first to come. The little black H. holomelas was 

 at the Knysna three vt^eeks ago." 



In fulfilment of the design announced in our last Number, 

 Mr. Tristram left England for Palestine early in October last, 

 and the various members of his expedition departed by different 

 routes about the same time, Malta being the point of reunion. 

 The party consists of Messrs. H. B. Tristram, W. C. P. Medlycott, 

 G. G. Fowler, and H. M. Repcher. They have secured the 

 services of Mr. H. Bowman as photographer, Mr. E. Bartlett as 

 zoological collector, and Mr. B. T. Lowne as surgeon and bota- 

 nical collector. 



The plans of the expedition are to devote November and 

 December to the country from Beirut to Jerusalem, taking the 

 coast-line to Carmel, and thence working zigzag through the 

 less-frequented mountains and wooded country of Ephraim. 



January and February they give to the shores of the Dead Sea 

 and the Southern Ghor. They will endeavour especially to get 

 quite round the Dead Sea, close to its eastern shores, to note its 

 geology, and to take as many photographs of it as possible. All 

 the little streams which run into this lake will be carefully ex- 

 plored for zoology and botany. 



March, April, and beginning of May they allot to the Northern 

 Ghor and to the course of the Jordan from Jericho up to Tibe- 

 rias. Nesting will come in on the wooded banks of the Jordan ; 

 and they hope to visit Heshbon Essalt (Ramoth Gilead), and to 

 explore, as far as possible, the Land of Gilead and Bashan. The 

 Sea of Galilee will come in in the beginning of May, and particular 

 attention will be paid to its fishes. 



After that, they propose to pass by the Waters of Merom, and 



