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Alhagi and Aristida pennata, occasionally Peganum Harmala. 

 No others were seen, Halimocnemis (?) and Salsola inermis 

 have totally disappeared. 



The desert -lizards seen here were very amusing; three 

 species were found at this place. The little Phrynocephalus 

 inter scapular is is brown like the sand: when resting it rolls 

 its tail upwards like the spring of a watch and shows the 

 underside of the tail with black and white stripes. The animal 

 in this state soon catches the eye, but if one tries to capture 

 it rushes off, stops suddenly, buries itself in the sand and 

 lies as if dead. It is almost impossible to secure specimens. 

 There is also a larger species (Phrynocephalus auritus). A 

 third one, which I could not capture, is somewhat larger 

 than P. inter scapularis and has a long tail; it generally climbs 

 the Alhagi-bushes. There are many flies and I also saw 

 grasshoppers. Turtle-doves and Coracias and sparrows flew 

 about the ruins. 



The above-named plants soon disappear as one continues 

 to go north, and then the naked dunes appear. They are not 

 very high here, about 3 metres, crescent-shaped with the 

 concavity directed almost SW. Between them the loess-soil 

 is seen. All is bare, not a plant for long distances. In some 

 places, however, the coarse tufts of Aristida pennata are seen. 

 It is silent as death here, the sand on the crests of the dunes 

 lifts slightly and looks like thin streaks of smoke. Out here 

 there are no lizards. 



If one now turns and crosses the railway walking south- 

 wards, one sees in the other direction first a more covered 

 (planted) country and then the bare loose sand forming on 

 the horizon immense brown dunes. The dunes of the covered 

 belt are also in many places perfectly devoid of plants, but 

 there are parts where Aristida pennata grows very luxuriantly 

 forming tussocks about 1,5 metres in height and more than 

 0,5 metre in diameter. A few bushes of Smirnowia and Saxaul 

 are also seen here. There are a good many depressions the 

 soil of which is sand, they are rather well covered: flowering 

 Alhagi Camelorum, a large-leaved form of Aelwopus repens, 

 Pluchea caspica a metre high, small Phragmites and especially 

 Tamarix shrubs, attaining a height of 2 metres or more. An 



