CYPRUS. 



81 



an inhabitant of Cyprus, but of the south of France, Germany, and 

 Italy. Of the six species of Coluber which we find in the island, I 

 can scarcely refer any of them to the Linnsean species. 



The classical ichthyologist receives a particular pleasure from com- 

 paring the modern Greek names of the Cyprian fishes, with those of 

 Oppian, Aristotle, and other writers. The Scarus, which the Swedish 

 naturalist affirms to be piscis hodie obscurus, is known to every Cyprian 

 boy. Belon, guided by the Cretan fishermen, found it on the rocky 

 shores of Crete. These fishermen are much better commentators on 

 the Greek ichthyologists than their learned editors, who, by their un- 

 fortunate conjectures, more frequently confuse than clear a doubtful 

 text. The striking agreement of the modern Greek names with those 

 of ancient Greece is no where so evident as in Cyprus. Here we 



still find the words Moppvpog, drj#3*ppffi crzoi^og, <ra,pyog, <rot\7rot) peXuvovpog, 



TrspKa,, cp<pog 9 and others precisely the ancient names of Oppian and 

 Aristotle. They are very properly retained by Linnaeus for trivial 

 names. The shores of Cyprus receive a great number of Mediterranean 

 fishes ; some of these confine themselves to its rocks, and seldom 

 emigrate into more northern latitudes. In river fish, it is, as we 

 should expect to find it, deficient ; the rivulets, few in number, and 

 inconsiderable in their size, generally dried up in summer, do not 

 lead us to expect a large catalogue of river fish : and upon repeated 

 inquiries I found that the eel was their only inhabitant. My list of 

 Grecian fishes was already very considerable when I arrived at 

 Cyprus; the market of Constantinople had furnished me with those 

 of the Thracian Bosphorus and the sea of Marmora. I had still, how- 

 ever, hopes- of discovering some other species in the more southern 

 latitude of the Mediterranean. Cyprus did not deceive my expect- 

 ation : I added several species of Labrus and Sparus to my collection ; 

 among these the Labrus Cretensis, which, from its more vivid colours, 

 and the superior elegance of its figure, carries off the palm of beauty 

 from the L. Iulis, cited by Linnaeus as Europceorum facile pulcher- 

 rimus, 



M 



