hich has ever been a favourite among the Arabs), the jasmine,
narcissus, lily, oleander, chrysanthemum, convolvulus, geranium,
dahlia, basil, the henna plant (_Lawsonia alba_, or Egyptian privet,
which is said to be a flower of Paradise), the helianthus and the
violet. Of wild flowers the most common are yellow daisies, poppies,
irises, asphodels and ranunculuses. The _Poinsettia pulcherrima_ is a
bushy tree with leaves of brilliant red.

Many kinds of reeds are found in Egypt, though they were formerly much
more common. The famous byblus or papyrus no longer exists in the
country, but other kinds of _cyperi_ are found. The lotus, greatly
prized for its flowers by the ancient inhabitants, is still found in
the Delta, though never in the Nile itself. There are two varieties of
this water-lily, one with white flowers, the other with blue.

_Fauna._--The chief quadrupeds are all domestic animals. Of these the
camel and the ass are the most common. The ass, often a tall and
handsome creature, is indigenous. When the camel was first introduced
into Egypt is uncertain--it is not pictured on the ancient monuments.
Neither is the buffalo, which with the sheep is very numerous in
Egypt. The horses are of indifferent breed, apparently of a type much
inferior to that possessed by the ancient Egyptians. Wild animals are
few. The principal are the hyena, jackal and fox. The wild boar is
found in the Delta. Wolves are rare. Numerous gazelles inhabit the
deserts. The ibex is found in the Sinaitic peninsula and the hills
between the Nile and the Red Sea, and the mouflon, or maned sheep, is
occasionally seen in the same regions. The desert hare is abundant in
parts of the Fayum, and a wild cat, or lynx, frequents the marshy
regions of the Delta. The ichneumon (Pharaoh's rat) is common and
often tame; the coney and jerboa are found in the eastern mountains.
Bats are very numerous. The crocodile is no longer found in Egypt, nor
the hippopotamus, in ancient days a frequenter of the Nile. The common
or pariah dog is generally of sandy colour; in Upper Egypt there is a
breed of wiry rough-haired black dogs, noted for their fierceness.
Among reptiles are several kinds of venomous snakes--the horned viper,
the hooded snake and the echis. Lizards of many kinds are found,
including the monitor. There are many varieties of beetle, including a
number of species representing the