Biological Expedition to the Birket el Qurun

THE lake in the Fayum province of Egypt known as the Birket el Qurun has a very unique interest as the remains of the historic Lake Moeris, which was used as an artificial regulator of the Nile floods by the monarchs of the twelfth dynasty. During the last few years a good deal of attention has been paid to the lake and the whole Fayum province by Captain Lyons, F.R.S., and the staff of the Egyptian Survey Department. No detailed examination of the flora and fauna had, however, been undertaken, and it was to furnish the desired biological, information that we were invited to make investigations in the spring of this year.