1920.] of the Maroccan '' Middle-Atlas'' 375 



Plateau, overj^liadowed by tlio Northern Crest-hills, here 

 composed of limestone and rugged in the extreme. 



The lake lay in a shallow circular depression of about 

 25 acres in extent ; its water was clear, at the deepest only 

 just above the stirrups of my companion who rode across 

 the lake, and the bottom, save for a thin carpet of loose 

 (? ligneous) matter, quite firm. 



It was a lovely picture at sunrise ; Ruddy Sheldrakes 

 and clamorous parlies of Stilts, alarmed, flew disconsolately 

 over the lake adding their bright contrasts of colour to 

 the car{)ets of white Water-crowfoot, pink Polygonum, and 

 delicate greens that varied the dark mirror surface. 



Out near the middle lay a small islet of reed-orowth 

 which sheltered a few (Joots {F. atra) and Dabchicks, 

 probably breeding there ; but despite the assurance of a 

 recent visitor that we should find here " toutes especes 

 d'oiseaux,"' a single duck too far of¥ to diagnose (but 

 ? Marmaronetta), completed the list of the daya's feathered 

 inhabitants. Curiously, neither Stilts nor Sheldrakes showed 

 signs of breeding, p.ist or present ; all were adult. 



Some "Volcanic Kopjes" are thickly crowned with cedars; 

 others, besides lacking trees, refuse to provide soil enough to 

 more than half-clothe their slopes with herbage. Such a one 

 is Timoudit. 



The Craters are curious : the large ones contain cedars, 

 fine trees where the soil is sufficient, and their roots are well 

 below the rim, but the [)Oor things to whose lot has fallen a 

 more exalted position reach the brink only to meet the bitter 

 storms of winior in full violence, and in consequence are 

 splay-topped and tortured in appearance. 



So cleanly are the " Craters," as it were, " scooped out " 

 of the Plateau that unless some of these bizarre cedar-tops 

 protrude, no suspicion of the existence of "a hole" occurs 

 to the traveller until he stands on the very brink of the pit. 



One remarkable crater near Jebel Hebbri is exception- 

 ally abysmal, about 250 yds. diameter at Plateau level and 

 (judged) not less than 300 ft. deep. Ninety per cent, of its 

 side surface is vertical; there is only one difficult, but possible 



t2 



