100 Dr. F. H. H. Guillemard — Ornithological 



hills, the valleys between which were chiefly vineyards and 

 corn-land. The vines, however, were leafless, and no sign of 

 spring ill the shape of an anemone or ranunculus was to be 

 seen. We passed large flocks of goats, Avhich were invariably 

 accompanied by still larger flocks of the White Wagtail, 

 each animal having two or three of these birds in close 

 attendance. 



A decided change was visible on arriving at the southern 

 slopes of the island. Anemones appeared, a few stray but- 

 terflies were occasionally to be seen [Pontia cardamines, Pieris 

 crat(pgi, and Gonepteryx rhamni), and low bushes afi'orded 

 cover for various birds. I saw a tolerable number of Black- 

 birds, some specimens of Anthus, the Wren, Robin, Redstart 

 [Rutidlla titys), and the first and only Blue Tit that I met with 

 in the island. At one place I noticed a solitary Hirundo rufula, 

 a species which I did not again come across until long after- 

 wards. Although it is, perhaps, to be found in each of the 

 Districts of the island, it is very local. It occurs at Fama- 

 gusta, at the ruins of Bellapais, at Kyrenia, in the pass above 

 Lanarka ton Lapethou, and near the village of Poli ; but at 

 all these places it seemed to frequent the immediate neigh- 

 bourhood of its home, and never to go far a-field. 



Arriving at Tochni, an old Greek woman welcomed me at 

 her house in the customary Cypriote fashion, swinging a 

 small censer around me and enveloping me in little clouds of 

 perfumed smoke. On such occasions the guest bows, thanks 

 his host, and making the sign of the cross is thereafter pro- 

 tected from evil sjDirits during his residence in the house. 

 Next day they brought me a lad who was said to be sufl'ering 

 from the sting of a " acfsaXdyjr) " inflicted five months before. 

 Whether the injury was due to this cause or not I cannot 

 say, but the right eye was completely hidden by an indurated 

 and ill-looking swelling of the upper eyelid and neighbouring 

 parts, and its structure in all probability destroyed. The 

 a^aXdyyT], a sand- wasp of the gen\\& Mutilla {M. hungarica) , 

 is extremely dreaded by the Cypriotes, who believe its sting 

 to be occasionally capable of causing death. 



On the 7th of Maicli I found myself established at the 



