FAUNA AND FLORA OF SINAI, PETRA, AND WADY 'ARABAH. 5 



Insect life was almost suspended, but a few small beetles {Adesmia, 

 Acts), ants [Camponotus), and a spider or two, as well as a torpid scorpion, 

 were captured about here, and between this and Wddy Nasb. 



Excepting at wells, met with at rare intervals, life of all kinds was 

 very scarce in this lower desert portion of Sinai. The appearance of a 

 bird within a quarter of a mile in these wastes was a signal for a general 

 call to arms amongst the gunners, and the gurgling sound of the Bedawln 

 camel-driver summoned his obstinate beast to kneel and let his rider dis- 

 mount and stalk a distant Egyptian vulture or a raven. These two birds, 

 Neophron percnopterus , Linn., and Corvus umbrinus, Hedenb., were fre- 

 quently in sight, but rarely in range. 



After a day or two, when my Bedawin lad, Khalil, had discovered 

 which of us two was master, I generally travelled on foot, letting my 

 camel-driver keep me in view till wanted. For this interesting and 

 faithful son of the desert I conceived a great liking. This feeling towards 

 the Arabs is very frequently indulged in by inexperienced travellers in 

 the East. 



As fast as I made gatherings, I was able to deposit them on the back 

 of my admirable beast of burthen. For this purpose I had two sets of 

 camel bags and drying boards, as well as multifarious swinging gear ; 

 guns, spy-glass, water-bottle, shoulder-bag, spirit-cylinder, portfolios, 

 insect-box, et hoc genus omne. 



The country traversed was of gravel and sand, with occasional outcrops 

 of limestone. This limestone sand is sometimes finely and regularly 

 granulated, as near Wady Sudur, a condition not observed by us in other 

 parts of Sinai. The view of the Jebel Rahah mountains across the Gulf 

 of Suez was superb. 



Our direction lay nearly parallel to this arm of the Red Sea, gradually 

 widening the distance between us and the coast-line. The sky was of a 

 brilliant blue, and the temperature rarely hot enough to make walking 

 disagreeable. The following plants were observed in WMy Sudur : Zilla 

 myagroides, Desf.; Reiama retain., Forsk. ; Alhagi maurorum, D.C. ; 

 Acacia Seyal, Del. ; Deverra tortuosa, Gcsrtn. ; Anabasis artictdata, 

 Forsk. ; Reaiimuria vermicularis, Linn. {R. palcestina, Boiss.) ; Fagonia 

 cretica, Linn., var. glutinosa et vars.' ; Erodium glaucophyllum. Ait. ; 

 Citrullus colocynthis, Lehr. ; Artemisia iudaica, Linn. ; Odontospermum 



