BOTANICAL INFORM ATIOIV. 319 



the Caledon River during winter, and the water in it is 

 merely a string of pools at that time. Its water is very 

 clear during this season, swarming with fish of several 

 descriptions, enjoying themselves in shallow places in the 

 beams of the sun, and making a great noise in the water. 

 They are good for the table, but rather inconvenient, on 

 account of the numerous sharp bones in their flesh. The 

 Sylurus Gariepinus, Burch., and the Bar bus Mareguensis, 

 Smith, are the best and the most numerous in this and the 

 Orange River. Some peculiar plants grow in the shade of 

 the willow trees, in a muddy soil, deposed by the flood 

 of that River. Urtica ? species, Sonchus glaber, Lac- 

 tuca, (1037), Thalictrum Caffrum, (4), Conyza, (804, 805), 

 Senecio reclinatus, Conium africanum, (745), the most of them, 

 indeed, have much the habit and external look of an European 

 flora, and contrast very much with the plants more remote 

 from that river. The common reed, Phragmites communis 

 likewise occupies great patches along the banks of that river. 

 It is of no particular use about here, except that it serves 

 the inhabitants to thatch their houses with. But it is to 

 the inhabitants of the Karroo countries of great importance, 

 a s it is the only green vegetable in a severe drought upon 

 which their cattle entirely depend, when there is no other 

 green wholesome blade to be seen ; it grows very luxuriantly, 

 even in the most salt and brackish water, and fattens very 

 quickly those animals. It is very interesting to see every 

 evening swarms of thousands of birds, chiefly Turdus galli- 

 naceus and Lamprotornis bicolor resort to these thickets of 

 reed ; they know that they have a safe night quarter here, 

 f or as these reeds grow in the water, no enemy can disturb 

 them. 



There are, in comparison to other places, very few birds 

 of prey about the Caledon River ; the Milvus parasiticus, 

 a well adapted name, is frequently about the banks of the 

 ri ver, and is very annoying sometimes, when there is meat 

 within its reach. He is rather too forward, and not too 



