FAUNA AND FLORA OF SINAI, PETRA, AND WADY 'ARABAH. 69 



Beccabunga, Linn., will serve to give botanists an idea of the species 

 occurring at this season. 



Jerusalem, 2,400 feet above sea-level, falls within Boissier's ' Plateaux 

 subdivision of the Oriental region. His ' Flora Orientalis ' deals with the 

 countries from Greece to India in a width of about twenty degrees of 

 latitude north of the tropics; and he divides these into (i) Mediterranean, 

 (2) Middle Europe, (3) Oriental, and (4) Region du Dattier [or Desert]. 

 The Oriental is subdivided into Plateaux, Aralo- Caspian, and Mesopota- 

 mian. In the first of these subdivisions of the Oriental region, Jerusalem 

 and Damascus and the districts around and above each of these cities are 

 placed. 



The climate of Jerusalem is milder and more Mediterranean than 

 most parts of this sub-region. The date-palm, though not native nor 

 able to ripen its fruit, can exist, and grows to goodly dimensions, as 

 evidenced by one well-known tree. Others occur a little lower towards 

 Ramleh. Here and at Damascus, as I subsequently saw, the prickly pear 

 is naturalized. A 'pipi' tree, Ccssalpinia Gilliesii, a highland species 

 from Buenos Ayres, was amongst the few cultivated species noticed in a 

 recognisable condition. It was in flower beneath the windows of the 

 Mediterranean Hotel, 



From an intelligent resident at Jerusalem I obtained some informa- 

 tion of the vegetable products of its neighbourhood which may, I think, 

 be deemed reliable, and gives an idea of the climate. 



' Frost, though occurring annually for some nights, usually at the end 

 of January, rarely lasts throughout the day, and hardly penetrates the 

 soil [where there is any]. 



' The sycamore fig, orange, mardarin orange, and lemon, which ripen 

 their fruit so well at Jaffa, will notdo so at Jerusalem. 



' Apricots, tomatoes, grapes, figs (?), thrive better at Jerusalem than 

 Jaffa. Pomegranates and nectarines do fairly well at Jerusalem. 



' Bread melons [Artocarpus integrifolia, ?] and water melons, which 

 attain a weight of 20 to 30 pounds at Jaffa, will not ripen at Jerusalem. 



' A small plum, like a greengage, succeeds better at the elevated 

 station ; but strawberries, apples, and pears have all been unsuccessfully 

 tried. 



' Olives bear well about Jerusalem, especially after a winter of snow 



