4t 



NATURE 



[Nov. 14, 1889 



features are two mountain ranges, running pretty well parallel to 

 each other from east to west. The northernmost of these two 

 ranges extends almost the whole length of the island from Cape 

 Kormakiti on the north-west to Cape St. Andrea at the end of 

 the horn-like promontory which stretches for 40 miles from the 

 north-east of the island. This promontory is called the Carpas, 

 and the low mountain chain running through it is called the 

 Carpas range. The westernmost and higher portion of the 

 northern range is called the Kyrenia range, and rises to an 

 altitude of 3340 feet. This range is of a remarkably picturesque 

 outline, in some parts extremely rugged. It is mostly a single 

 ridge without any remarkable spurs, and its summit is about two 

 miles from the northern coast. It can be crossed in many places. 

 The chief mountain peaks of this range are Kornos, 3105 feet ; 

 Buffavento, 3140 ; and Pentedaktylos, 2400. The last named is 

 a remarkably shaped rock in the centre of the Kyrenian range, 

 owing its name to its shape, the word Pentedaktylos signifying 

 in Greek "five-fingered." Beneath this rock there rushes out 

 southward from the mountain side, at an altitude of 870 feet, 

 a torrent of water, which never ceases to flow summer or 

 winter, and which, descending into the great plain in the centre 

 ■of the island, carries its fertilizing streams to the lands of several 

 villages, its course marked by mills, gardens, and trees, until its 

 water is exhausted by various irrigating channels. A similar 

 stream of water gushes from the northern side, about 12 miles 

 west of the Kyrenia Pass. Smaller streams descend on either 

 side of the range at various places ; their waters are used for 

 irrigation in the valleys. The southern range of mountains is 

 of a much more extensive nature than the northern range. The 

 ■easternmost point of this range is the mountain of Santa Croce, 

 so called from the church of the Holy Cross which stands on its 

 summit. This mountain, which is 2260 feet in height, is of a 

 peculiar shape. Beginning then from this point the southern 

 range rapidly rises to considerable altitudes, finally culminating 

 in Mount Troodos, the highest point in Cyprus, being 6406 feet 

 above the sea-level. The other chief peaks in the southern range, 

 are Adelphe, 5305 feet ; and Machera, 4674 feet. But it is not 

 only in altitude that the Troodos range is distinguished ; numerous 

 spurs run down to the north and south, and as we proceed further 

 west these radiate out?to greater distances, so that half way be- 

 tween Troodos and the sea, the mountain range is not less than 

 20 miles wide. Here there are very considerable forests, many 

 miles in extent, rarely visited save by wandering flocks and by 

 wood-cutters, and affording shelter to the moufflon, or wild sheep 

 of Europe, some 200 or 300 of which still roam over these hills. 

 On the map it will be seen that numerous rivers descend from 

 both sides of the southern range. These are mostly dry in 

 summer, but after rain their waters descend with violence, filling 

 up the river-beds in the plains, carryiny away trees and cultivated 

 patches, and often rushing in a turbid stream into the bays of 

 Famagusta and Morphou. Between the two mountain ranges 

 there lies a great plain called the Mesaorea, which is the most 

 fertile part of Cyprus, growing large crops of wheat, barley, and 

 •cotton. It was evidently once the bottom of the sea, for in 

 many parts are large beds of marine shells — gigantic oysters and 

 •others — all clustered in masses. A noticeable feature of this 

 plain is the number of flat-topped plateaux of various sizes, 

 where the rock seems to have resisted the action of the water. 

 The tops of these plateaux are clothed with short herbage, afford- 

 ing a scanty provision for flocks, and are usually from 100 to 200 

 feet above the plain. The rivers which descend from the hills 

 carry down large quantities of alluvial soil, and this f jrms in the 

 eastern part of the Mesaorea a rich deposit, something similar to 

 the Delta of the Nile. The two rivers which mainly contribute 

 to this plain are the Pediseus and the Idalia, the former taking 

 its rise from the northern slopes of Mount Machera, and the 

 latter from the eastern slopes of the same mountain. The beds 

 of these rivers have, however, become so choked up with alluvial 

 deposit towards the end of their course, that their waters over- 

 flow the plain and mingle together, so that their separate mouths 

 can with difficulty be distinguished. The normal condition of 

 these rivers is to be without water, but whenever there is a heavy 

 rainfall in the mountains, the river "comes down," as it is 

 called, and runs for one, two, or more da\-s. It occasionally 

 happens that the water descends with great suddenness and 

 violence, causing disastrous floods. Considerable supplies of 

 water for irrigation purposes are obtained by sinking wells. A 

 long chain of wells are sunk at distances of five or six yards 

 apart, and being connected by underground galleries, a channel 

 is thus formed which conveys the water to a reservoir constructed 



at the foot of the last well, and it is thence raised to the surface 

 by a water-wheel ; or in some cases the level of the ground 

 admits of the channel being brought out on the surface. In this 

 way the town of Nicosia is supplied with excellent water, which 

 is brought in two aqueducts from a distance of some miles. 

 Larnaca and Famagusta and other towns have similar aqueducts. 

 Closely connected with the water supply is the forest question. 

 Sir Robert Biddulph then entered into detail with reference to 

 the denudation of Cyprus of its forests, and the great locust- 

 plagues which have been so successfully treated since the British 

 occupation. 



THE FLORA OF CHINA} 



CINCE the last meeting of the British Association, two addi- 

 *^ tional parts of the "Index Florae Sinensis" have been 

 published, bringing the enumeration of known, and the descrip- 

 tion of new, species as far as the Loganiacecv. The Committee 

 now, therefore, look forward with some confidence to the com- 

 pletion of their labours at no distant date. 



Further extensive and valuable collections have been received 

 from China in aid of the work, more especially from Dr. Augus- 

 tine Henry, late of Ichang. The novelty and richness of the 

 material obtained by this indefatigable botanist far exceeds any 

 expectations the Committee could have formed. It is to be re- 

 gretted that his duties as an officer of the Chinese Imperial 

 Maritime Customs have necessitated his removal to Hainan. It 

 is probable, however, that he had practically exhausted the im- 

 mediate neighbourhood of Ichang, and that without opportuni- 

 ties of travelling over a wider radius, which the Committtee 

 regret they were unable to procure for him, he would not have 

 been able to add much of material novelty to the large collec- 

 tions already transmitted by hiai to Kew, 



The Committee have met with the kindest sympathy and 

 assistance in their labours from Dr. C. J. de Maximovvicz, of 

 the Academic Imperiale of St. Petersburg, who has long been 

 engaged on the elaboration of the collections made by Russian 

 travellers in China, and from M. Franchet, of the Museum 

 d'Histoire Naturelle at Paris, who is describing and publishing 

 the extremely rich collections made by the French missionaries 

 in Yunnan, 



The Committee have received striking proofs of the apprecia- 

 tion of their labours by botanists of all countries. They permit 

 themselves to quote the following passage from a letter received 

 early in the present year from Baron Richthofen, than whom no 

 one is more competent to estimate the value of work connected 

 with the scientific exploration of China: — 



" It is of great value to have, now, a Flora of China, embody- 

 ing all the species known from that country. You have evi- 

 dently succeeded at Kew in getting a very complete collection. 

 At the same time, in looking over the localities mentioned in 

 the book, it strikes me that large portions of China are still 

 unexplored botanically. There remains a splendid field for a 

 good collector in the Tsingling Mountains, the province of 

 Sz'chuen, and chiefly its elevated region west of Ching-tu-fu. 

 Work in those parts will be greatly facilitated by the solid 

 foundation laid through the work of Forbes and Hemsley." 



Tne Committee derive an independent existence as a Sub- 

 Committee of the Government Grant Committee of the Royal 

 Society. They are at present in possession of sufficient funds 

 to enable them to carry on the work. They do not therefore 

 ask for their reappointment at the hands of the British Associa- 

 tion. 



SCIENTIFIC SERIALS. 



American Jjurnal of Science, October. — Assuming that the 

 earth's crust rests on a layer of liquid as a floating body, Mr. Le 

 Conte here off'ers an explanation of normal faults. The crust is 

 supposed to be raised into an arch, by intumescence of the 

 liquid, caused by steam or hydrostatic pressure ; it is thus broken 

 by long more or less parallel fissures into oblong prismatic 



' Third Reoort of the Com-n!ttee, consisting of Mr. Thiselton-Dyer 

 (Secretary), Mr. Carruthers, Mr. Ball, Prjf. Oliver and Mr. Forbes, ap- 

 pointed for the purpose of continuing the preparation of a Report on our 

 present knowledge of the Flora of China. 



