FAUNA AND FLORA OF SINAI, PETRA, AND WADY 'ARAB AH. 25 



In a very dirty well, Btr es Saura, near the base of Jebel 'Ar^deh, 

 Chara hispida, Linn., occurred, and with it Juncus maritimus. Lam., 

 /3 arabicus. 



On the summit of Jebel 'Arideh there was no vegetation, and in the 

 limestone now lying above the sandstone numerous cretaceous fossils were 

 obtained. A single white butterfly (Pieris sp.) was the only living thing. 

 I estimated the height of this mountain 3,400 feet. It is about 1,300 feet 

 above the plain, and forms a mosl conspicuous object. Like others, 

 except those of granite, in this region, it is crumbling away and turning 

 to dust on all sides. The beds of chalk and flints are much disintegrated, 

 while all the outer surface of the lower limestone is on the move. 



The only plants were Gymnocarpum, Reaumuria, Capparis, Acantho- 

 dium, Lavandula of the usual kinds. 



We were here in a little known and unsurveyed region. Consequently 

 there was abundant work for the engineering section of our party. Very 

 few travellers had passed this way since Laborde's time, and I was sorely 

 disappointed to find on the tableland we were now entering there was 

 little living vegetation, although abundant withered evidence of a sparse 

 but varied flora. 



This tableland is called here Jebel Herteh, and is, properly speaking, 

 a portion of the Tih plateau, which becomes indefinite at its south-eastern 

 border. A fine oval plain, Widy Hessi, about three to five miles broad, 

 literally abounded in lizards, and here I killed another Zamenis, a sand- 

 coloured snake about 4 feet long. A large-headed Arachnid (Sparacis sp.) 

 was also very abundant, and seems to form food for some of the numerous 

 chats and larks. Small flocks of sparrows, Passer hispaniolensis, Temn., 

 occurred here, while there was usually a raven or a vulture in sight. 



This wady, now clad with withered scraps, is a favourite pasturing 

 place later on for the Bedawln flocks. I gathered here Tribulus alatus, 

 D.C. ; Anastatica hierochuntina, Linn.; Zygophyllum dumosum, Boiss. ; 

 Lotus lanuginosus, Linn. ; Lfloga spicata, Forsk ; Filago prostrata, 

 Parlat. ; Linaria Jloribunda, Boiss. ; Verbascum simiatum, Linn. ; 

 Heliotropium undulatum, Vahl. ; Micromeria myrtifolia, Boiss. ; Plan- 

 tago ovata, Forsk. ; Panicum Teneriffce, R. Br. ; and Aristida ccerulescens, 

 Desf. These had not been previously met with. Other interesting 

 species not recently seen were Farsetia csgyptiaca, Tiirr. ; Reseda primosa, 



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