1900.1 nrBBOTS axd abachnids ntcm som.mjl.vxd. 5 



and the Moths are very local. The latter were nearly all 

 collected on the banks of river-beds where there were trees, long 

 grass, ami undergrowth. The Beetles, on the other hand, simply 

 swarmed, and there was also no lack of Orthoptera, Chilopoda, 

 Diplopoda, Arachnida, &c. 



( >n April 20tb, 1S95, 1 started from Berbera, the coast town of 

 Somaliland, wending my way south-west along the maritime plain 

 to Hargaisa. Insect-life was by no means plentiful in this hot 

 parched-up desert country, but birds were numerous by the sides 

 of the dried-up river-beds. 



Hargaisa is a permanent Somali village on a gentle slope, over- 

 looking a river-bed. There was luxuriant undergrowth and a 

 few trees. Insect-life was consequently more plentiful, and I 

 collected my first butterflies and moths here. Of the latter, the 

 large species Cyllogramma latoaa Or. and Sphingomorpha chlorea 

 Cr. came to my lantern in great quantities at night. After 

 leaving Hargaisa, I went south across the great waterless Haud 

 .District, through dense thorn-bush jungle. En route we suddenly 

 emerged upon the Bun Saylah, a large open plain literally covered 

 with game, notably Oryx, Hartebeest, Soemmerring'a Gazelle, and 

 ( )striches. It took us a day to cross this, and then w e entered dense 

 jungle again. All this time I did but little insect-collecting, as, 

 owing to the scarcity of water, 1 was always on the quick march. 

 At Sassabanab we encountered water in deep wells and under the 

 surface of a river-bed, the Webbi Jerrar. Here I collected some 

 of the ticks described. Thence I inarched to the Boorgha Country, 

 and passed the everlasting red Band, entering a stony, billy district. 

 In this latter, Orthoptera were very numerous. I went as far 

 as Mount Kuldush, marching along the Webbi Shebeyli, the greai 

 river of Somaliland. 



The banks of this river were lined with trees and dense jungle, 

 and butterflies and other insects were very abundant. Being 

 unable to find a path for tbe camels down to the river-edge, and as 

 1 v;i« running Bborl <>!' fund, and many of my men had fever, I 

 retraced my steps at the end of dune. | followed the Side River 

 for a long way and reached Hun Jijjiga, a gigantic plain at the 

 foot of the Ilarah Hill 8. Here I fell in with Abyssiuians. who, 



however, behaved most cordially, (lame was extremely abundant 



on tins plain ; but insects were somen hat BCarce except al W diardi 



Datal, where there was Ion q which Orthoptera simply 



swarmed. After leaving the plain I traversed thick jungle until 

 reaching I largaisa, where I rested to take up water before recro 

 the greai maritime plain called Q-uban (the bol country). 



During this latter journey I came across a small herd of the 

 Somali wild Ass (Equu* somalicxis), and passed through a dense 

 locust-cloud, which darkened the sun for hours and looked like a 

 great fall of -now, the air being whiUvrith them. After a very 

 exhausting march through this desert, where weencounted terrific 

 storms every da) . vre finally returned to Berbera and thee 



