204: THE :n-atijeal history keyiew, 



taken pains to point out tlie extent of its imperfections. For nearly 

 three weeks before the arrival of our travellers, the maritime region 

 was gay with a profusion of magnificent flowers, some of which may 

 perhaps have completed their annual period of vegetation before they 

 had an opportunity of collecting them. The Elora of June and July 

 is also unknown, and some species, published by Boissier, show that 

 even in August Aucher reaj)ed a good harvest. The Elora of Sep- 

 tember is also wanting, and nothing is known of the vegetation be- 

 tween November and March, though flowers are not entirely wanting, 

 according to the testimony of the inhabitants, during any part of that 

 period. 



Forty-two species are enumerated, which are, so far as is known, 

 peculiar to the island of Cyprus, a large proportion, certainly, if we 

 consider its nearness to the continent. Future investigation will, no 

 doubt, reduce it by discovering many of them on the mountains of the 

 neighbouring countries. It is quite possible, too, that on a critical 

 examination, the distinctive characters of some of them may prove 

 when the plants are better known, to be less constant than they are 

 inferred to be, from the examination of a few specimens of a single 

 gathering. Two of the new species are Oaks. One of these, Q. alni- 

 folia, a shrub or small tree, in habit very like a Californian species, 

 replaces Q. Ilex, throughout the island, and is common on the southern 

 mountain roads, at elevations between 1000 and 5000 feet, occurring 

 most abundantly on the north and west slopes. The other, which is 

 called Q. Cypria in the general remarks, is in the list reduced to a 

 variety of Q. Pfaeffingeri, a tree which occurs also on the opposite 

 coasts, The variety, however, is only known as a Cyprian plant. It 

 is a large tree, and its favourite locality is in the valleys of the central 

 mountains. It is believed formerly to have formed large forests. The 

 ouly other new plant requiring special notice is Bosea Tervamora^ 

 a Salsolaceous shrub, hitherto only known as a native of Jamaica and 

 the Canary islands, and, therefore, quite new to the Flora of the Me- 

 diterranean region. This curious plant was met with abundantly on 

 rocks, at Lapethus, on the north coast of the island, and also sparingly 

 at Larnaka, on the south coast. It was not, unfortunately, found 

 in flower, so that it is not yet quite certain that it does not differ 

 specifically from the species to which it is referred. 



In his introductory remarks, M. Kotschy has carefully compared 

 the Flora of Cyprus with that of the other parts of the Mediterranean 

 region, but for the detailed results we must refer our readers to the 



