THE MEDITERRANEAN NATURALIST 
329 
The Arabic names of the valleys are names for 
trees, and there can be little doubt that at one 
time that the valleys abounded with the trees 
after which they are now called. 
In Mr. Floyer’s opinion this wholesale destruct- 
ion of the arboreal vegetation of the region is pri- 
marily due to the camel and to the Arab. The 
first devoured the foliage ; and the second converted 
the branches and trunks into charcoal. So long as 
the valleys were all the Arab had to depend on 
for feeding his camels so long did he preserve the 
trees. But by degrees the Arabs got a footing in 
the Nile Valley, and hired their camels to the 
farmers to carry their harvest. 
They then went back to their deserted valleys 
and brought away the trees in the form of charcoal 
and thus the land was gradually laid bare. 
What an excellent opportunity the Maltese 
people are missing for making known to the world 
at large the wares for which they are so famous 
in the manufacture. 
Lace, and filigree work in precious metals consti- 
tute one of the staple industries of the islands, 
and it is - urprising, considering the general 
depression which is manifesting itself among the 
working classes all over the islands, that steps 
have not been taken to further their interests and 
to promote a healtlhy emulation among their arti- 
zans by organising an exhibit for the Great World’s 
Fair at Chicago. 
On the 14th ult. the following notice appeared 
in the General Orders issued from head quarters, 
Valletta. “As it appears that certain ancient ex- 
cavations have been discovered in the progress of 
Royal Engineer wmrks, and the contents carried 
away contrary to the instructions issued on 30th 
of April 1888, the following order is published 
for future guidance. The District Commanding 
Royal Engineer will report immediately any dis- 
coveries of ancient tombs, burial places, or pottery 
that may occur in course of excavations for works, 
or come to light in any way. Such objects are to 
carefully preserved until they have been inspected 
by an officer of the Civil Government, and in the 
case of ancient buildings, tombs, or burial places 
so discovered left untouched in situ until this 
inspection has been made.” 
The above notice has been issued in consequence 
of the depredations which have been committed 
among the newly discovered Phoenician tombs at 
Gebel Imtarfa. The manner in which, not these 
tombs alone, but also numerous other have been 
rifled of their contents by irresponsible curiosity 
hunters, and the state in which many of the 
ancient ruins of the islands now are, constitute a 
disgrace to European Archaeological Science. More 
has been done to obliterate and destroy vestiges 
of Malta’s ancient history during the last two, 
centuries than was effected in the preceding two 
thousand years. In the time of the Knights they 
were shamefully neglected and maltreated, and 
even now, though laudable and energetic attempts 
have been made by a few enlightened individuals 
to protect and preserve some of the more precious 
of these relics, the majority are rapidly being 
dispersed through-out foreign countries, or are 
actually destroyed through beingleft to the tender 
mercies of the goat-herd, the farmer, and the 
tourist. 
Correspondence. 
Maltese Leiudoptera 
Sir, 
Valletta. 
In one of the last numbers of the Mediterranean 
Naturalist, a wellknown collector of Lepidoptera 
remarks that several species of butter flies especially 
the Vanessa Cur did the C alias Udusa, as also the 
Vanessa Atalanta have this year been very 
plentiful. 
Often when strolling about the fortifications 
outside Porta Reale I have seen numbers of the 
pupae of the Vanessa Cardui actually fringing the 
stony projections, and carefully hidden inside the 
In lies and cracks of the old walls. Great quan- 
tities of these pupae, were merely empty cases, the 
imago having already come forth. 
The walls in the vicinity of these empty cases 
were splashed with tiny drops of blood that the 
butterly emits immediately it leaves its case. 
Others of these pupae were of a dark bronze 
colour and on further examination they proved to 
lie lifeless. These seemed to have been killed by 
some other insect as they all had a slight punc- 
ture in one part or other of their bodies. I was 
