40 SOME ACCOUNT OF THE 



Verbascum sinaiticurn, Ficus sycamorus, and a stunted pinnate-leaved 

 shrub or small tree, perhaps a Fraxinus. The Ononis, very viscid, with 

 pretty yellow and claret-coloured veined flowers, was very abundant. So 

 also was Thymelsea. Sternbergia (Colchicum) macrantha was glorious, 

 with flowers of golden yellow as large as a lemon. 



Few observations on animal life were obtained in this hurried visit, 

 but these were all of interest. 



Ibexes and gazelles were seen on Mount Hor, and a hare of the 

 Egyptian variety fled from Wady Harun at our approach. Another, 

 seen at Petra, much lighter in colour, may have been the Nubian 

 form. 



When climbing Jebel Abu Kosheibeh, a clear loud flute-like whistle 

 attracted my attention. The first few times I heard it I was fully 

 persuaded it was a signal to warn those rascally Petra Bedawin that 

 hated Christians were invading their domain. But I presently saw the 

 whistle belonged to a bird, which proved to be Tristram's Grakle. This 

 species, originally discovered by Tristram about the Dead Sea, has since 

 been found in Sinai at Wady Feiran by Wyatt, who also met it at Petra. 

 All the time we were on this mountain several of these birds kept flying 

 around us, often displaying the orange spot on the wing as they hovered 

 close by. Their flight is very graceful, sometimes hovering butterfly-like, 

 sometimes swift and undulating in large curves like the chough. Grakles 

 were seen afterwards a little above Petra, and a flock of a dozen or 

 thereabouts circled round the summit of Mount Hor, disappearing and 

 reappearing from the corners of the red sandstone cliffs, and giving notice 

 of their presence with their melodious whistle. This is probably a 

 favourite breeding-place with these birds. It was not until I reached 

 the Dead Sea that I obtained a specimen. 



At Petra also occurred the Palestine bulbul, and the rich musical cry oi 

 the fantail raven, Corvus affinis, Rtipp., was almost incessant while we were 

 there. Nevertheless this bird hardly came nearer than two or three 

 hundred yards, and would be difficult to obtain. By its note and by its 

 size, and by its broad expanded tail seen on the wing, I was assured of the 

 species' on referring to Canon Tristram's work. This raven and the 

 grakle are two of that author's characteristic birds of the Dead Sea 

 basin. 



