AN ENTOSIOLOGIST's VISIT TO DALMATIA IN 1873. 167 



chrysomelma, which, from its brio;ht-red. colour with bhick 

 .spots, is seea conspicuously dotting the large dark green 

 leaves, and would probably be quickly exterminated by 

 birds, were there many ; but here again, except a few 

 sparrows in the towns, we rarely saw any. We v/ere told 

 that the blue thrush, Turdus cyaneus, abounded in the hills. 

 Once we saw Lanius minor, and two or three times Saxicola 

 stapazina. A Silvia, and a few swallows and magpies, 

 comprize pretty nearly all the land-birds that came under 

 our observation. 



To the traveller Dalmatia will never be attractive ; in 

 its physical aspects in many respects like Greece, and, 

 although some of its towns played no unimportant part in 

 history, it lacks the " scenes our earliest dreams have dwelt 

 upon," that will long continue to make us " hail the bright 

 clime of battle and of song " with interest and delight. At 

 present there is not an hotel in the whole country ; the two 

 or three, if so many, little restaurants, which are called 

 albergos, at Zara, Spalatro, and Ragusa, may or may not be 

 able to furnish the traveller with a bedroom, but generally 

 the owners know where to find one in their neighbourhood. 

 This is not pleasant; we got, however, clean and tolerably com- 

 fortable accommodation, all things considered, and have nothing 

 but praise to accord to what they gave us to eat and drink. 

 It is possible that other travellers may be more fastidious. 

 The men are a fine race, still dressed in eastern style — the 

 belt, full of yatagans and pistols, the countryman generally 

 carrying a long gun in addition. If the women are not 

 very pretty, they at least seem a kindly set. Once at Cattaro 

 we were surrounded by a bevy of them, who discussed our 

 appearance and possible nationality, without rudeness indeed, 

 though not without causing us some embarrassment ; but, on 

 discovering that we were English, it was gratifying to see 



