S6 SOME ACCOUNT OF THE 



A very nimble fresh-water or rather marsh crab was very abundant. 

 To this animal was due the multitude of burrows amongst the tufts of 

 Juncus maritimus near the Dead Sea. Twice I saw them disappear with 

 incredible swiftness into these holes, which were of various sizes, and of so 

 great a depth or length I could not usually dig them out. Several that I 

 did dig out were blind or empty, and at first these holes puzzled me 

 beyond measure. The total absence of tracks or pads leading to them 

 arrested my attention, while their widely different sizes, both in length 

 and diameter, suggested something altogether new. Those crabs I 

 obtained were by means of the Bedawin lads. The carapace of the 

 biggest was about 5 inches by 3. They are gray in the young state, but 

 attain a reddish tint when full grown. The species is Telphusa {Potamo^ 

 philon) fluviatilis, Savign. One was killed in our camp, showing that they 

 ramble at night away from water or marshy places. This crab extends 

 through Egypt to Algiers, and occurs also, I believe, farther east than 

 Palestine. 



At the time of our visit the mean diurnal temperature was about 50° 

 Fahr. There is no universal check to vegetation in the Gh6r. Acacias, 

 Osher, Castor-oil, Loranthus, Salvadora, species of Abutilon, Zizyphus, and 

 Balanites were bearing fruit and flower now in the coldest season in true 

 tropical fashion. 



Before we left, the sun was just beginning to ' braird the lea,' and 

 there was a delicate hue of green perceptible across the ill-tilled soil. 



The river, Seil Garahy, alias Hessi, was well filled with water, and on 

 several occasions we enjoyed a swim down the swift deep rushes at the 

 inner edge of the plain. Irby and Mangles, I think, found this river 

 dry on their return journey from Petra. 



Before bidding farewell to the Ghor I should mention one striking 

 peculiarity in its flora. I allude to the great number of species compared 

 with the number of individuals. If those few gregarious kinds (chiefly 

 trees, grasses, and shrubs) already mentioned be eliminated, the remain- 

 ing sorts would very often depend on a few plants for their claim to a 

 place in the list. Hence a brief visit may give rise to many omissions. 



