78 



NATURAL HISTORY. 



if we except the camel, are nearly the same as those of Crete, 

 and the other Greek islands ; and its wild quadrupeds, when com- 

 pared with the neighbouring coast of Asia, are very few. It possesses 

 neither the lynx, nor the wolf, nor the jackall, inhabitants of the 

 opposite shore of Caramania ; and the weasel tribe is totally wanting, 

 of which we find some species in Crete. The wild boar inhabits 

 Cape Gatto, and the Gazella, the higher parts of Mount * Troados. 

 Hares are scarce, and seem to confine themselves to the mountainous 

 tracts of the island. The hedge-hog, I was also informed, was an in- 

 habitant. The large bat was mentioned, but I only found the common 

 species. Asses, I heard on good authority, were found in a wild state 

 at Carpaso, and that it was permitted to any person to hunt them ; 

 but that, when caught, they were of little value, it being almost im- 

 possible, from their natural obstinacy, to domesticate them. 



The naturalist, disappointed in finding so small a number of qua- 

 drupeds, is surprised on observing the great variety of birds which 

 migrate to Cyprus at different seasons of the year. The birds of the 

 thrush tribe, inhabitants of the northern climates, visit it only during 

 the depth of winter. At the first appearance of spring they retire to 

 the higher mountains of Caramania, where, the snow preserving a 

 constant humidity, they find food and a proper habitation. Great 



* A neoteric Greek, quoted by Du Cange, in the word ITc6ocr»;, says, " That the moun- 

 tain Boukasa, which reaches to the foot of Troados, contains mines of gold." Mr. Haw- 

 kins, in a letter answering a question sent to him by the editor respecting this passage, 

 supposes the remark to be incorrect, and at variance with the more ancient authorities. 

 " It is not probable," he says, " that the Phoenicians who possessed Cyprus, and opened 

 their mines there, should have left those of gold undiscovered. I conceive the report 

 might have originated in this manner; at the foot of Mount Troados, on the north, about 

 half way to the sea coast, are some low hills bordering on the vale of Solea, where I found 

 immense heaps of the scoria or slags of smelting furnaces. They occur in two places, 

 Lefca and Skourgotisa, and appear to have been produced by the smelting of iron or of 

 copper. The ore must have been dug higher up. The strata of Mount Troados consist 

 of a kind of Trapp rock, a mixture of Hornblende and Feltspar, in which rocks, as far as 

 my knowledge extends, no gold mines have been found in any part of the world." 



