32 SOME ACCOUNT OF THE 



The first bee I met with was captured here, and small beetles are often 

 sacrificed to the good of science. I spare the reader the enumeration of 

 their scientific names, which will be given fully at the close. 



At El Tabi occurred a greensward of Cynodon dactylon, Linn. In or 

 near the grove already spoken of were Cocculus Lecpba, D.C.; Fagonia 

 ■myriacantha, Boiss.; Scrophiilaria deserti, Del.; Loranthus acacice, Zucc; 

 Salsola fceiida, Forsk.; Eragrostis cynosuroides, Rets., and common sorts. 

 In the open sandier wady, Glaticium arabicum, Fres.; Gypsophila 

 Rokejeka, Del.; Monsonia nivea, Dene.; Microrhynchus nudicaulis, Linn.; 

 Iphiona scabra, Del.; Citrulhts colocynthis ,Schr. ; Cleome drosei'ifolia, Del.; 

 Cucumis, Pancratium, Danthonia, Trichodesma, Andrachne, Forskahlea, 

 Anabasis, and Tamarisk form almost the whole vegetation. 



In some places the wady is spanned by rolling wastes of sand dunes 

 lo to 12 feet high. These appear to have been formed around the bases 

 of clumps of tamarisk and anabasis, which is here very tall, 6 to 8 feet 

 high or more. 



Ochradenus baccatus is very abundant, often overtopping the acacias 

 by whose protection from camels it thrives. Lycium europaeum and one 

 or two grasses escape being cropped in the same manner, and grow to an 

 unwonted size. 



On December 7 a long day's climbing with Laurence brought us to 

 the head of Wady Ghurundel in Edom. This was at a height of about 

 1,800 feet above sea-level, six miles east from the 'Arabah. The 

 scenery on the way was superb. Huge blocks of red sandstone, 800 to 

 1,000 feet high, towered above us, sometimes sheer and tottering in broken 

 masses from the main cliffs behind. We passed a spring with a few date- 

 palms, and a little higher a large bulb with broad leaves {Urginea scilla, 

 Steinh. ?) first appeared and soon became abundant. It was not yet in 

 flower. Dianthus multipunctatus, Ser.; Eryngium, sp.; Odontospermum 

 pygmcsus, Cav.; Cotula cinerea, Del.; Solanum nigrum, Linn.(y2ir. moscka- 

 tuni); Satureia cuneifolia, Ten., forma; Boerhavea verticillata, Desf.; Ficus 

 sycamorus, Linn.; Traganum nudatum, Del.; Aristida ciliata, Desf., 

 appeared for the first time. The Odontospermum {Astericus), which 

 occurred at a considerable height, was a little woody button representing 

 the hardened flower head, which was usually solitary and close to the 

 ground. This plant, like Anastatica, has hygrometric properties, and has 



