PREFACE. 



XV 



f Birds, 



I Amphisbaenians and Ophidians, 

 Zoological. *{ Lizards, 



I Land Mollusca, 

 (^Lepidoptera, 



Geological, 



Botanical. -( 



Diatomacese, 

 Algse, . 

 Lichens, 

 Other Fungi, 

 Muscinea3, . 



Mr Sclater and Dr Hartlaub. 



Dr Giinther. 



Mr Blandford. 



Lieut.-Col. Godwin- Austen. 



Mr A. G. Butler. 



Professor Bonney. 



Mr F. Kitton. 



Dr Dickie. 



Dr Jean Miiller. 



Dr M. C. Cooke. 



Mr Mitten. 



Phanerogams and Vascular Cryptogams ; I am myself responsible for these, 

 but in several groups I have availed myself of the special knowledge of 

 other Botanists, and their help is acknowledged under the respective 

 groups. 



My gratitude is due to the above-mentioned gentlemen for their kind and 

 valuable assistance. The examination of the botanical collections is completed, 

 but I have not yet had reports upon all the zoological ones. 



Our 48 days' stay on Socotra and first scientific exploration of the island 

 was soon followed up by a second exploration. In the spring of 1881, 

 Dr Riebeck, accompanied by Drs Schweinfurth, Mantay, and Rosset, arrived 

 at Aden with the intention of proceeding to Socotra. At Aden they received 

 first intimation of our raid of the preceding spring. After a stormy passage of 

 27 days from Aden in a buggalow, beating up against the north-east monsoon, 

 during which they made landings at three different places, Schugra, Bolhaf, 

 and El-Hami, upon the south coast of Arabia, the German expedition 

 landed at Tamarida on 16th April, and formed a camp at a place Keregnigi, 

 about 800 feet up the Haghier slopes. Thence during the succeeding six weeks 

 excursions were made to different parts of the island, and the expedition left on 

 18th May. Thus, after an interval of nearly fifty years, Socotra was visited 

 in two successive years by scientific expeditions. 



The members of the German expedition devoted themselves largely to the 

 study of the people and language, at the same time that they collected in various 

 branches of natural history. Their zoological collections have been worked 

 up by various authorities. Dr Hartlaub has examined the birds, Prof. Peters 

 has taken the lizards, the Crustacea fell to Prof. Hilgendorf, and Dr 

 Taschenberg* took the insects, while upon Prof. Von Martens devolved the 

 work of determining the land-mollusca. The collection of crania, from which 

 most interesting information may be expected, was placed in the hands of 



* Prof. Taschenberg has published, I am informed by Dr Schweinfurth, under the title " Beitrage 

 zur Fauna der Insel Socotra," an account of the zoological results obtained by the German expedition, 

 but I have not been able to find the paper. Dr Hartlaub's and Von Marten's results are referred to on 

 pages xxxi and xxxiii of the Introductory Chapter. 



