160 
from Alexandria, the farthest station being about five miles 
distant from Cleopatra’s Needle and the ground is sprinkled 
over with well built villa residences, to which English, 
Greek, and Italian, and other residents of Alexandria resort 
during the warmer months of the year some even making 
it their permanent abode. The dwelling houses cease 
entirely about six miles from Alexandria, where uninhabited 
desert is reached. Botanically speaking, the district may be 
divided into three portions, the sea coast, the desert, and 
the irrigated margins of Lake Maadieh, the plants of which 
the following is a list were collected in the two former 
districts. I hope on a future occasion to bring before you 
those found on the irrigated land in the vicinity of Ramleh 
and Alexandria generally. 
It is stated that the migratory birds pass from Europe to 
Africa and Asia by three routes, the most westerly being by 
Gibraltar, the central by Malta, and the most easterly by 
Greece, Cyprus, and Egypt. I am inclined to think that the 
point for which these last birds direct their course is Ram- 
leh ; the coast being comparatively conspicuous both from 
its height and from the waves generally breaking on its 
shores. This may possibly account for some ot the plants 
there found. 
According to Boissier, one of the most ancient botanical 
explorations was that of Prosper Alpius, in the sixteenth 
century ; Lippi also travelled in the country at the com- 
mencement of the eighteenth century ; but, although it may 
be true that 
Vixere fortes ante Agamemnona,” 
