NATURAL HISTOET OF LAKE ITRMI. 361 



of land-shells and two species of lizards {JEtimeces ScJmeideri 

 and OpMops elegans), which would be very unlikely to have 

 crossed the broad expanse of water separating the islands from 

 the mainland. There were also moUusks, woodlice, scorpions, 

 Galeodes, and several wingless insects. 



The most interesting feature of the fauna of these islands is 

 that upon them once lived a wild sheep, a distinct variety, appa- 

 rently allied to tlie Cyprian Ovis opMon. Unfortunately, I 

 brought home only one skull, although there w^as an entire 

 skeleton upon Koyun Daghi. It is possible that this sheep, 

 too, may belong to a " Eelikten-fauna," if I may be permitted 

 to apply Credner's term to a terrestrial area. 



Some eagles (probably Aquila cTirysaetus, L.) breed among 

 the highest crags of Koyun Daghi, and the lower crannies are 

 the homes of countless rock-pigeons. The shores are often lined 

 with ducks and gulls, which feed on the crustaceans (Artemia) 

 and bacterio-diatom colonies of the Salt Lake. On the pebble- 

 beaches I picked up many pink feathers of the flamingo, but I did 

 not see any of the birds during my stay ; they are abundant in 

 winter, and are snared on the mainland in spring. Some of the 

 beaches are covered with reed-stems, which have probably been 

 drifted across from the mouths of the great southern rivers by 

 southerly winds. Partridges and quails were occasionally heard,, 

 and magpies were to be seen at the spring disputing with the 

 pigeons for the right of drinking first. 



Upon the small grass-grown Shazalan Island, to the north of 

 Arzu, I saw two young specimens of Eumeces ScJmeideri as well 

 as many Opliiops elegans. Myriads of rock-pigeons which nest 

 in the crevices of the rocks are regarded by the sailors as an 

 unfailing source of pigeon dinners. The rocks consist of a dark 

 slate-coloured limestone, with many crevices and cavities con- 

 taining secondary depositions of calcium carbonate. The lime- 

 stone is very similar to that of the N.W. end of Koyun Daghi, 

 and is of Carboniferous age. 



The vegetation growing on the islands at the time of my visit 

 was mostly burnt up by the sun except near the springs. On 

 Koyun and Arzu there are a few stunted walnut-trees, the largest 

 of which measured between two and three feet through at a yard 

 from the ground. The calcareous soil favours the growth of the 

 haruan plant {^Artemisia) : the effect of its aromatic odour as an. 



LJITN. JOUEN. — ZOOLOGY, VOL. XXYII. 28 



