264 FRESH-WATER SPONGES. microscope appear like needles. The natives object to handle them, as the spicula, too small to be distinguished by the naked eye, insinuate themselves into the pores of the skin, and cause considerable irritation. The name of this species, which may be collected in the Monghyr marshes by millions, is Spongilla Carteri, given in honour of Dr. Carter, who has written an interesting account of the fresh-water sponges of Bombay in the "Annals of Natural History." Myriads of gemmules, or eggs, may be seen collected in the sponge, and these are the germs of future sponges. They are set free during the rains, and on finding an unoccupied branch drooping into the water, they seize it and there take root and multiply. On the island the sweet-scented climbing asparagus (Asparagus racemosus) is common; it is now a mass of small white flowers; and near it is the creeping fig (Ficus repens), which is not often seen in Monghyr. I caught upon its leaves a splendid specimen of the variable butterfly (Diadema bolina), which has a very extended range from India to Peru; and near it was the spotted ant-leopard (Palpares pardus), A PEST OF MOSQUITOES. 265 skulking from the midday sun, and taking a siesta in the shade. This family is very abundant in Monghyr, and the pitfalls made by the larvæ or ant-lions, to entrap unwary insects, are spread all over the country. But the time when the south-west monsoon is blowing is the best for the entomologist in Monghyr. Myriads of mosquitoes are said to infest this island during the rainy season, so that neither man nor cattle can remain, even the holy men cannot face the torment of insects then, and the island is abandoned to the monkeys which are forced to stay. The priests informed me that the monkeys sit perched at night on the highest branches of the trees facing the monsoon which blows the mosquitoes away. Woodpeckers are common here; and I found a nest of the golden-backed woodpecker (Brachypternus aurantius), containing four white eggs similar to those of the green woodpecker of England. As evening was drawing in the air became thick with swallows, assembling from all the country round to roost among the reeds. I believe there is no other roosting-place within the two thousand square miles which make up the northern portion of Monghyr, so that the swallows which come here probably spread daily over this vast tract of country. I attempted to make some sort of calculation regarding the number of swallows which roost on the Kabur reeds, and the number of insects which they require for their food. The number of the insects must be immense, and not far short of a thousand millions daily. As I was engaged in my calculations, I heard the signal gun announcing that my companions were about to start, and making my way to the bank of the lake found the canoes manned and ready to carry our party to the opposite shore on our homeward route. This was the time for making a bag, for the air was full of ducks going out and swallows coming in. Soon as the procession of boats was formed we started, as the full moon was rising above the reeds under a cloudless sky. Although I felt perfectly satisfied with my spoils collected during the day, my companions were not equally so, and before we reached the land many a poor duck had cause to rue our picnic on the Kabur swamp. CHAPTER XIII. A Visit to Syria and Palestine on the way Home from India.-Jaffa.-The House of Simon the Tanner.American Tourists.-Birds seen in Palestine.-Russian Pilgrims.-Their Faith and Enthusiasm.-The first sight of Jerusalem.-The Mount of Olives.-Distance lends Enchantment to the View.-Filthy state of the City.-Journey to Jericho.-Bad Roads.―Jumping the Brook Chereth.-Bathing in the Dead Sea.-Bathing in the Jordan.-Return to Jericho on our Homeward Route. On my way home from India with my wife, I happened to have my attention drawn to a map of Palestine; and I remarked what I had never noticed before, that Port Said, at the Mediterranean entrance to the Suez Canal, is, so to speak, little more than a stone's throw from Jerusalem. We previously intended to wander about Italy for some time before going to England, so, as we had plenty of time at our disposal, we determined to make a détour from our homeward route and visit Palestine. Directly our determination was known, several of our fellow-passengers, who appeared as ignorant as we had been regarding the relative positions of Port Said and Jerusalem, declared that they would accompany us; but in a short time, when the enthusiasm of the moment had passed off, the would-be pilgrims, with the exception of an old college friend and his wife, found that either the necessary time or the money could not be spared. So they consoled themselves with the reflection that, after all, the Holy Land was probably not worth visiting; and that it would be very undignified to arrive at Jerusalem in an omnibus, which some one declared to be the usual mode of conveyance from Jaffa. On arrival at Port Said we found a French steamer ready to start that evening for Constantinople, touching at Jaffa and Beyrout on its way; but, although we were fortunate so far, the Captain told us that the sea was higher than he had known it for years, and he doubted whether we should be able to land at Jaffa, |