70 



CONTINENT OF GREECE. 



belonging to the convent,, near the sea, about an hour distant from 

 the port of Asprospiti. 



July 4. — I engaged a small boat belonging to the monastery, with 

 some Caloyers, to carry me to the islands of Didascalo and Ambelia, in 

 the sea of Corinth, about ten miles distant from the bay of Asprospiti. 

 In Didascalo there had been formerly a school. The whole island 

 scarcely exceeded a mile in circumference, and was covered with 

 ruins ; at present uninhabited, except by wild pigeons, the Hirundo 

 Melba 5 and a large species of bat. Innumerable flights of the Melba 

 almost darkened the air, and made the island their breeding place. 

 We caught several of their young in the holes of the rocks. The 

 Hirundo Melba, mentioned as rare by Linnaeus, is one of the most 

 frequent species of the swallow tribe in Greece. I observed it flying 

 over the summits of Parnassus. The Phoca vitulina we found sleep- 

 ing within pistol-shot, but my gun not going off disappointed my 

 hopes of shooting it. The skins of these seals, our Caloyers assured 

 me, were sometimes sold for fifty piastres, a price much greater than 

 they bear in the northern climates. The vegetable productions of 

 the island were burnt and scorched by the sun. From Didascalo I 

 went to Ambelia, about half a mile distant ; we discovered here no 

 traces of ruins ; among the rocks flew immense flights of falcons, 

 which pursued the large owl, Strix Bubo, with shrill piercing cries ; 

 one of these falcons was shot : it proved to be the F. peregrinus of 

 Linnaeus. I returned late to my companions ; we set off for Aspro- 

 spiti, anciently Anticyra, and Distomo, but could discover no trace 

 either of the black or white hellebore. The immediate environs of 

 Asprospiti present a dry sun-burnt soil. The hellebores were pro- 

 bably brought from the higher and colder regions of Parnassus, or 

 cultivated by the physicians of Anticyra in gardens. 



July 5. — At six in the morning we departed for Liacoura, and 

 mounted gradually towards Parnassus. After a ride of somewhat more 

 than three hours, we arrived at the convent of Jerusalem. I wished 

 to ascend Parnassus a second time, and taking with me two Caloyers, 

 as my guides, I quitted the monastery, and then passed through a 



