THE MEDITERRANEAN NATURALIST 
eluding nine of Clypeastus. A fine bed of corn/ 
occurs on tire south cliffs. 
The relics of the caves and fissures representing 
the quaternary fauna are remarkable. A gigantic 
swan as well as many land and water birds; fresh 
water turtles, two feet in length and a large lizard: 
Hippopotamus Pentlandi , Elephas Mnaidrce , E. 
Meiitensis , and E. Falconeri , the last two being 
pigmies four feet in length; and an enormous Dor- 
mouse about the size of a half grown rabbit. 
These constitute the principal remains found. 
Of the caves in which these remains occur some 
are on the summit of the cliff facing the south 
300 to 400 feet above the sea. Others are inland. 
A red earth enclosing the bones and teeth Iras 
also filled gaps or fissures in the limestone rock, 
when the whole of the terrestrial surface was 
denuded. Water-worn pebbles are found in some 
of the caves as well as stratified soil and stones. 
A large “swallow-hole” shewing proof of running 
water in the smooth and channelled walls is now 
situated on the slope of a sleep hill near the end 
of one of the harbours of Valletta. 
To reproduce the original conformation of the 
land, when the above animals were alive, we must 
imagine the bottom of the old Miocene sea to 
become dry land, Europe and Africa being united, 
the site of the Mediterranean constituting a low 
lying country with large rivers, lakes, swamps, and 
forests. The land subsequently sank, the Atlantic 
found its way in, and as far as Malta is concerned 
completely denuded it down to the bare rock. On 
rising again Malta formed the extremity of a pen- 
insula united to Sicily; but 100 fathoms of water 
still lay between Malta and Africa. Malta now 
became peopled with a Sicilian Fauna and Flora. 
One more subsidence of some 70 fathoms, isolated 
the Maltese islands. 
The land slopes gently northwards in the direct- 
ion of Sicily, but terminates very abruptly by a 
large fault running parallel to the south coast, 
which rises precipitously to several hundred feet 
above the sea. 
Numerous other faults shew indications of some 
violence in the separation and disruption of the 
Maltese islands; and it is remarkable that seismic 
phenomena are not now in sympathy with Etna 
so much as with the volcanic disturbances in the 
Greek Archipelago. 
The existing Fauna. — Of mammalia there are 20 
species, including seven bats, the hedgehog, weasel, 
and ferret; Norway, water, and common rat, mouse, 
rabbit, scale, and four cetaceans. Of Reptiles 
there are two harmless snakes,* four species of 
lizard, a sea tortoise, and a frog. Of birds there 
are only ten permanent residents; but a great 
variety of migratory birds visit the islands. There 
is a large rookery, but, a there are no trees, the 
rooks build in the precipitous rocks on the south 
| of the island. Of land shells there are about 40 
species, the freshwater are about 20 in number. 
The existing Flora. — The plants are purely Sici- 
lian, one only not being known out of Malta, Cen- 
taurea crassifolia, a fleshy leaved plant, growing 
in the rocky sidesof a valley, and bearing pink heads 
of flowers. Oxalis cernua, from the Cape, was intro- 
duced in 1806, and a late arrival, of about ten years 
residence, has established itself within the fortifi- 
cations of Valletta, namely, a “Crucifer” of the 
name Enarthrocarpus pterocarpus, from N. Africa. 
As there are no Avoods, meadows, or swampy 
places, except a few in miniature, perennials are 
less numerous than annuals, though many species 
propagate by bulbils, Ac. The indigenous flora is 
distributed over three kinds of districts, viz., cul- 
tivated fields, together with road sides; the “Wieds” 
or uncultivated narrow gorges or valleys, and un- 
cultivated rocky surfaces. Of the more remarkable 
plants, the following may be mentioned. In the 
fields occur the purple Anemone coronaria; “Love 
in a Mist,” Nigella Damascena; white Mignonette, 
Reseda alba; crimson Gladiolus segetum; several 
species of pink, andAA'hite floAvered onions, Allium; 
sp. ; the Feather Hyacinth, Bellevallia camosa, a 
crimson corn-salad, Fedia cornucopia, Ac. The 
roadsides and waste ground afford such plants as 
the ubiquitous yellow Oxalis cernua, single and 
double; three species of Marigold or Calendula ; 
the Borage, Borago officinalis; a Avhite floAvered 
Henbane, Hyosciamus albus; the squirting cucum- 
ber, Ecballium Elaterium the Annual Daisy, Beilis 
annua; a pink Catchfiy, Sirene cericea; a small 
buttercup, Ranunculus bullatus; the annual 'Mer- 
cury, Mercurialis annua; and three nettles, but 
not our common Urtica dioica, are most abundant. 
* The Maltese have a tradition that, St. Paul, 
like St. Patrick in Ireland , drove out the venomous 
snakes ! 
