Tour in Cyprus in 1887. 103 



on the west coast of Africa, as to leave no room for doubt 

 about the matter. 



On the moorlands a few Robins and Blackbirds were to be 

 seen, and the snapping note of the Stonechat, a bird so shy 

 as seldom to admit of a near approach, was a familiar sound. 

 But the one common bird was the Song Thrush, at that 

 time preparing for its departure. I do not know that I have 

 ever seen a species occurring in greater abundance than this. 

 Almost every step put up one, and small isolated bushes 

 would quite commonly aflbrd shelter to five or six. Spring 

 at this time might be said to be fairly established. Butter- 

 flies of the genus Polyommatus and Papillo machaon were 

 common, and the ground was covered with yellow ranunculus 

 and anemone. The minimum night-temperature at this time 

 ranged from 44°-49° Fahr., the diurnal maximum in the 

 shade from 63°-72°. The wind was chieHy easterly, often 

 veering with the sun to west, and not unfrequently blowing 

 very hard. One of the chief characteristics of Cyprus, indeed, 

 is the prevalence of strong winds. On several days during 

 my stay on the island it was almost impossible to go out of 

 doors, the dust occasioned by these gales being well nigh 

 intolerable. 



Wandering one day among the scrub, about two miles 

 from the lighthouse, I suddenly came across some ruins of 

 great interest, which I afterwards found to be unknown to 

 the English on the island. Passing over the less important 

 remains, the chief feature was a chamber of large size (72 by 

 36 feet) hewn in the solid rock. The top of its roof was 

 level with the surrounding soil, and the entrance was reached 

 by a passage, also rock-hewn, with a stiff slope. About 

 twenty yards to the west was a similar chamber, but in this 

 one the roof has fallen in. Whether these remains are of 

 the nature of tombs or temples it is difficult to say; but 

 there is little doubt that they owe their existence to Phoe- 

 nician hands. The Akrotiri peninsula was in those days well 

 populated. A little further to the west are the ruins of 

 Katalymata, and still nearer Cape Zephgari be the broken 

 columns and shapeless stone-heaps of Kurias. The remains 



