196 THE " LABIA BARBATA." 



on the Black Sea. I have noticed nearly 800 plants 

 about Byzantium. ... I often go upon the 

 Bosphorus, while the dolphins play around me. 

 Gulls here are so tame that they sit upon the roofs 

 of houses like pigeons. The Procellaria puffinus 

 is constantly flying up and down the canal ; they 

 call them here by the emphatic name of ' souls of 

 the damned.' While 1 was reading in the palace 

 garden the other day, a vulture, Peroiopterus, 

 perched in the tree hanging over my head, and I 

 could not resist, not having the fear of the Egyp- 

 tians before my eyes, shooting it. The summer 

 has been very hot and dry ; there are few insects 

 at present, except scorpions, mosquitoes, bugs, and 

 others, happy accompaniments of this happy cli- 

 mate. The chase of the entomologist was almost 

 over about a month since. I had fine sport. I write 

 in good health and spirits, for yesterday my friend 

 arrived, and to-day my baggage, having run 'per 

 varies casus, et tot discrimina rerum.' Hawkins is 

 in high preservation ; his appearance differs only 

 from having the labia barbata huge moustaches, 

 which he is nursing for a Syrian and Egyptian tour. 

 We are going together into Thessaly, Attica, and 

 the Peleponnesus, and shall winter at Zante." 



In pursuance of this plan, they visited various 

 parts of Asia Minor, and on the 15th October 

 arrived at Athens, from whence Dr Sibthorp wrote 



