Page:The Natural History of Sokotra and Abd-el-Kuri.djvu/37

Rh composed of numerous low bushes not exceeding two to three feet, became more abundant, in some places even dense, with trees seven to eight feet high. Among them, up from about 300 feet to nearly the summit, I gathered a small and very elegant asclepiad, a species of Cochlanthus (C. scotranus), and noted the remarkable Euphorbia described as E. Abdelkuri by Professor Balfour on page 529, and figured on the page opposite. The strong yellow webs of the large beautifully marked spider referred to above {Argyope clarkii) were met with all up the mountain side, very aggravatingly moored across the open passages between the trees. Several other inconspicuous arachiu'ds were also collected, of which a full account by Mr. Pocock is to be found in a subsequent section. Under nearly every stone, and often several inches deep in the soil beneath them, in the crevices of the rocks and on the twigs of the shrubs we found numerous land-shells, assignable in all to nine species belonging to the genera Buliminus, Tropidophora and Lithidion. On the summit the rock crannies were tenanted by crowds of a specially charming though minute form Lithidion gratum, its coral-red interior conspicuous against the white limestone. Of these nine species four have proved new to science. Three or four species of scorpion, one centipede and the gigantic Scolopendra balfouri, Plate xxvi. (which was found first in Sokotra by Balfour), together with a few beetles, indicate the chief invertebrates taken by us on Gebel Saleh. Within a few feet of the summit I found two rare ferns : Schweinfurth's Asplenium, and in faultless condition Balfour's beautiful Maiden-hair (Adiantum Balouri). A diminutive linear-leaved purple Iris (Romulea edulis), a dwarf Asphodel (Asphodelus tennifolius), and a slendei' ground-orchid {Hahniana sorotrana), together with a long spiked Orobanche {0. abi/miiica) hidden away in a deep recess under a cliff, flourished well on the scanty soil. The limestone is first seen resting on the granitoid and gneissic rocks at an elevation of about 700 to 800 feet. The uppermost limestone strata seemed to me to repose on a lower unconformable series, inclined to them at a considerable angle, as seen in the accompanying view of Gebel 8aleh (p. xxx.) photographed from the shore. On the shore near oui' landing place I picked up several nodules of a water-worn, amber-like gum or resin, which certainly was not an obvious product of the island, foi' no gum-producing trees, save euphorbias, were anywhere seen by us. These fragments were most prol:)ably, therefore, washed out of the soil or sea-borne to Abd-el-Kuri. I had expected them to prove to l)e a copal, drifted, perhaps, from the Copal Coast, l)ut from an analysis which has lieen made, it seems to be neither true copal nor true aml)er l)ut to possess some of the characters of l)oth. Its true origin and haltitat must for the present remain an open question. The " amber of good (piality," which Duarte Barljosa mentions as found in this island, refers with little doubt to the ambergris, or " grey ambei' " l)tained from the Sperm- whale. The natives complained that they suffered gi'catly from fever, induration of the liver, and, especially their children, from dysentery, and begged for medicine. I administered quinine and ipecacuanha to several of those who