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confirmed by the fact, that the ancient names are as a rule irretrievably 
lost in districts inhabited by the Bedawin who immigrated at a late 
period from Arabia to the Syrian deserts. 
Not only the language but the customs, dress, and religion of the 
peasantry are extremely archaic. The old worship of high places 
is still preserved among the villagers, sacrifices not in accordance 
with the doctrines of Islam are offered to local divinities, lamps 
are lighted, votive offerings suspended, and solemn dances and 
processions celebrated at the innumerable shrines which are found 
on every high mountain and under every large tree. 
So close is the correspondence between the habits of the peasantry 
and the description of the habits of the indigenous population in 
Jewish times, that the Fellahin of Palestine may apparently be 
without improbability considered the descendants and representatives 
of the ancient Canaanite tribes. 
The Zoology of Palestine has been made a special study by the 
well-known explorer Canon Tristram, and we had no hope of being 
able to add in any material degree to his discoveries. Fortunately, 
however, we were able to determine the existence of a species of deer 
not previously known to inhabit Palestine. By the natives it is 
called Yahmur, a word identical with the Hebrew term rendered 
“fallow deer” in the Bible. A specimen of the Yahmur was 
brought to us by the Arabs of Carmel, and the skin and bones were 
sent by Mr Tyrwhitt Drake to the Museum at Cambridge. The 
animal was there pronounced indistinguishable from our European 
roebuck, and we were thus able to ascertain the actual species of 
game which furnished the tables of Solomon with savoury venison. 
The Geology of Palestine presents features of unique interest 
connected with the extraordinary depression of the Jordan valley. 
The country has never yet been thoroughly examined by a pro- 
fessional geologist, and although much has been done by M. 
L’Artet and by Canon Tristram, much still remains requiring skilled 
judgment to explain. The attention of the survey party in 
respect of this question was principally devoted to the general 
structure of the country and the distribution of the main divisions 
of the strata. 
The hill country of Palestine is formed by a steep anticlinal, the 
strata belonging principally to the period of the Lower Chalk, and 
