MR. TRISTHAM's EXLOBA-TIONS IN PALESTINE. 54^3 



Tristram's expedition are referable to forty species, most of which 

 are either identical with, or nearly allied to those of the Fauna of 

 the Mediterranean basin. Only one species {Baboia xantliind) is 

 Indian. Two Lizards and one Snake (belonging to the family Cala- 

 mariidae) are described as new. The Eishes are referred to seventeen 

 species, many of them Syrian forms, whilst species of the genera 

 Chromis and Hemichromis show the affinity of the Jordan Ichthyo- 

 logical fauna, with tliat of the Nile and other rivers of Africa. 

 The Pishes of the Lake of Galilee seem to be : — 



Blennius lupulus, Clarias macracanthus, 



Chromis nilotica, Barbus longiceps, 



— simonis, Labeobarbus cauis, 



— andre», Scaphiodon capoeta, 

 Hemicromis sacer, Cobitis galiloGa. 



Strange indeed it is that of the thousand travellers who have 

 before visited its waters, not one should have taken the trouble to 

 bring home specimens of the apostolic fishes ! 



The terrestrial and fluviatile Mollusks collected during the ex- 

 pedition belong to about 120 species, which have been worked out 

 by Mr. Tristram himself. Mr. Tristram gives us the following 

 remarks on the general character of the Molluscan fauna of this 

 region. 



" The character of the Molluscan fauna of Palestine partakes, as 

 might have been expected, of the same variety which marks the other 

 branches of its fauna and flora. There are, however, fewer excep- 

 tions to its general character as a part of the Mediterranean basin, 

 and fewer traces of the admixture of African and Indian forms. 

 Northern types, especially of the genus Clausilia, are frequent in 

 the Lebanon and on its southern spurs in Gralilee. The Molluscan 

 fauna of the maritime plains and the coast possesses no features dis- 

 tinct from those of Lower Egypt and Asia Minor. The shells of the 

 central region are scarce, and not generally interesting : while on 

 the borders of the Jordan valley and in the southern wilderness we 

 meet with very distinct groups of Helix and of Bulimus, chiefly of 

 species peculiar, or common in some few cases to the Arabian 

 desert. 



" The fluvatile Molluscaare of a type very much more tropical in 

 its character than that of the terrestrial shells. There are here but 

 few species similar to those of the east of Europe. Most of the 



