258 [April, 



sandy desert — in fact, the great Sahara. While here I went on shore 

 several times shooting (birds were very numerous), and found the 

 country was no better than it appeared from the ship : stunted bushes 

 of mesembryanthemum, saltwort, stonecrop, &c, grew at intervals on 

 the sandy beach, and on the desert beyond, the same plants, in a more 

 dwarfed form, and a few others I did not know, occurred. A- diligent 

 search at the roots of these plants resulted in the discovery of one 

 small beetle (a Dermestes) and the larva of another (Cicindela) , and a 

 few larvae of an Orthopteron. But a large dragon-fly {Anaoc [Cyrto- 

 soma] epliippigef) occurred in the greatest profusion, which is strange 

 when one bears in mind that these insects in their larva-state pass 

 their existence in fresh water, of which there were no signs whatever 

 in the neighbourhood, nor had there apparently been any rain for 

 months. The river Ouro seems to be a river in name only, for an ex- 

 ploring party from the ship which went to the head of the estuary — ■ 

 some twenty miles or more inland — could discover no trace of fresh 

 water. These dragon-flies flew off to the ship in considerable numbers, 

 and at night might be seen reposing on the various ropes. One even- 

 ing, shortly before dusk, I landed on the sand-ridge, at the mouth 

 of the estuary, and found the dragon-flies had congregated in vast 

 numbers on the bushes, and I noticed that they invariably selected the 

 branches to leeward of the bush.* Only one species of butterfly, the 

 ubiquitous Pyrameis cardui, was noticed. No traces of the ordinary 

 food-plants were visible. Three different kinds of moths were ob- 

 tained : a fine Choerocampa celerio at rest (the larva of this insect feeds, 

 I believe, exclusively upon vine); Heliothis armiger, whose larva? I 

 have taken feeding in flowers of thistles and henbane ; and an Agrotis, 

 near ripce, whose larvae, probably, feed on Sedum, and other plants 

 growing on the sands. 



We left the river Ouro on 29th December, and arrived at St. 

 Vincent, Cape de Verde islands, on the afternoon of 2nd January. 

 From previous accounts J had had of the island, I expected to find 

 nothing but a barren, dry rock, so was agreeably surprised to see an 

 abundance of green scrub to the westward of the town, and plenty of 

 green and golden patches among the hills. The next day I went on 

 shore, and walked out to the westward of the town, where I found 

 that the scrub was composed chiefly of tamarisk with mimosa and 

 cassia, and several other trees and shrubs I did not know. The golden- 



* The name of thia dragon-fly has been supplied by me, from a specimen forwarded by Mr. 

 Mathew. It is essentially a migratory species, some! hues flying over to the" European shores of 

 the Mediterranean, from Africa, in Luge swarms ; this will account for its appearance in such 

 numbers in a place in which it could not have been bred. — R. McLachlas. 



