542 THE NATURAL HISTORY REVIEW. 



taking up this branch of inquiry, Mr. Tristram lias most undoubtedly 

 succeeded in writing a " new book upon an old subject." We have 

 no intention of following Mr. Tristram and his friends in their pere- 

 grinations over the Land of Israel, which extended over a period of 

 nearly ten months, but can assure our readers that they will find the 

 account of their wanderings in the present volume, not only written in 

 a most attractive style, but replete with information in every branch of 

 Natural History. With regard to the more strictly scientific papers 

 relating to difterent parts of the Natural History of Palestine, we 

 will, however, say a few words. 



The total number of species of birds of Palestine recorded in 

 Mr. Tristram's report given in the Zoological Society's " Proceed- 

 ings " is 322 — the list beiug confined to those which were obtained 

 by or came under the personal observation of the members of the 

 expedition. It is still imperfect, Mr. Tristram observes, especially 

 in the great classes of Grallatores aud Natatores, but the following 

 will gives us some idea of its constituent parts. 



" Of the whole 322 species noted in Palestine, 260 are included 

 in the European lists, 31 are common to Eastern Africa, but are 

 non-European species, or at most accidental stragglers, and are 

 chiefly desert-species of Nubia and the Sahara ; V are of Eastern 

 Asia ; 4 of Northern Asia, {Serinus j)usilIuSj Carpodacus erytlirinus^ 

 Cdaradrius asiaticus, and Charadrius mongolUiis) ; 4 of the Gulls and 

 Terns are characteristic of the Eed Sea, and 27 species are, so far as 

 our present knowledge extends, peculiar to Palestine and districts 

 immediately adjacent, of which 9 species are now described for the 

 first time, while several others, as Ct/pselus (jalileEensis, Sitfa hrueperiy 

 JBessonornis alhigidaris, Petronia hracliydactyla, JS^ectarinia osea, as 

 well as most of Hemprich and Ehrenberg's new s]>ecies, have not 

 before been brought to England. Every species described by Hem- 

 prich and Ehrenberg has been obtained and identified during this 

 expedition, excepting one doubtful species." 



The Eeptiles and Eishes collected by Mr. Tristram have been 

 worked out for him by Dr. Giinther, who gives us the results in 

 another communication to the Zoological Society. Dr. Giinther 

 remarks, that very little was previously known of the Herpetology 

 and Ichthyology of Palestine, and that the only specimens of this 

 part of its Eauna in the vast stores of our National collection, con- 

 sisted of a small collection made by Mr. T. W. Beddome, who visited 

 Palestine in 1862. The Reptiles and Batrachians obtained by Mr- 



