A ROUND-THE-WORLD BOTANICAL EXCURSION 433 



knowledge of South African cycads, that I asked him to prepare an 

 article for the Botanical Gazette. Other plants of the vicinity were 

 also of interest, but my time was becoming short. 



The final point on the schedule, as far as cycads were concerned, 

 was Port Elizabeth, where Mr. Butters, the director of St. George's 

 Park, gave me definite information and accompanied me on the trips 

 into the field. Prom this place I visited Van Staadens, the type 

 locality of Encephalartos caffer, and Despatch, a good locality for 

 Encephalartos horridus, a frightful species which holds its place in the 

 conservatory as the gargoyle does in architecture, by its forbidding 

 aspect. With its spiny leaves, as threatening as porcupine quills, it 

 deserves its specific name (Fig. 10). It is a pity that nomenclature 

 should be burdened with names like Altensteinii, Lehmannii, Frederici 

 Guilielmi, Vroomi and Purpusi, when suggestive names like spinosus, 

 pungens, sanguineus, ferox and tribulosus are still available; but tax- 

 onomists will do it. 



The object of the trip was now far more thoroughly accomplished 

 than I had dared to anticipate when I left Chicago, for I had seen all 

 the oriental genera of cycads, and most of the species, growing in the 

 field, and had not only secured notes and material, but had arranged to 

 have plants sent to Chicago and had also arranged to have histological 

 material fixed at short intervals for a year, in order to make sure of a 

 complete study of life histories. Much of this would have been impos- 

 sible had it not been for the unbounded hospitality which everywhere 

 facilitated the work. 



Of the few days at Cape Town, while waiting for the boat, one was 

 spent at Stellenbosch, the Athens of South Africa, one on Table Moun- 

 tain, one at Glen Cairn, an excellent place for marine algae, and two 

 or three at the South African College. This college is the hope of 

 higher education in South Africa. Its department of botany includes 

 three botanists of international reputation and doubtless other depart- 

 ments are also of high rank, so that the college deserves to rank with 

 first-class institutions of other countries. 



The trip back to Chicago was tedious but comfortable, for I was 

 not troubled by seasickness, only one day out of more than ninety days 

 upon the water being marked against my record. 



Por one who is only an investigator and not at all adventurous, 

 such a trip can hardly be said to have any dangers, except the usual 

 dangers of the sea and, perhaps, some dangers from snakes in South 

 Africa. Long tramps, hard climbing and some hot weather must be 

 expected, but a man of middle age and in fair health should come back 

 stronger than when he started, and the investigator and teacher is sure 

 to come back with abundant material for his research, his lecture- 

 room and his laboratory. 



VOL. LXXXI. — 30. 



