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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 
interscapularis 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. interscapularis 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 Aeluropus repens, 
Pluchea caspica a metre high, small Phragmites and especially 
Tamarix shrubs, attaining a height of 2 metres or more. An 
