On the Flora of Angola, 305 



to great modifications, and depart from the typical forms like the 

 changes in the tarsi, such anomalies are perhaps confined to the 

 minuter members of a family, and a comparison of the trophi is un- 

 questionably of the greatest importance in arriving at the true afli- 

 nities of insects. 



The paper was accompanied by drawings of Hypocephalus and its 

 details, and also of the details of Cyrtognathus. 



June 6. — Thomas Bell, Esq., President, in the Chair. 



Read the following extracts from a Letter from Dr. Frederick 

 Welwitsch to Richard Kippist, Esq., Libr. L.S., translated from the 

 German, and communicated by Mr. Kippist. 



St. Paul de Loanda, Tropical W. Africa, S. Lat. 8^ 48' 5". 

 March 2nd, 1854. 

 My dear Friend, 



Although I have now been above seven months in Africa, it is 

 only to-day that the first opportunity has occurred of sending letters 

 direct to London, and even of this opportunity I received such short 

 notice that I have only time to send you a few hasty lines of news. 

 You must not therefore be surprised, if this, my first African 

 letter, proves somewhat confused, since I returned to Loanda only 

 yesterday evening, from an excursion into the interior, and find my- 

 self so surrounded by pressing occupations of all kinds, that I scarcely 

 know where to begin. 



My journey from Lisbon here was so far favourable that it 

 gave me a good opportunity of becoming acquainted, superficially 

 at least, with the flora of Madeira, St. Vincent's (Cape Verds), 

 St. Jago, Sierra Leone, and the incomparably lovely Ilha do Principe. 

 In Sierra Leone I staid nine days, and bethought me, with each 

 new plant I encountered, of our old friend George Don. 



What astonished me more than anything else at Sierra Leone was 

 the circumstance that the English, who have now been so long in 

 full possession of this charming territory, nevertheless still remain 

 in utter ignorance of the adjoining negro-district ; more particularly 

 with respect to the interior of that part of tropical Africa. 



In Sierra Leone I saw the first parasitical Orchidece, and almost 

 always in company with a gigantic species of Platycerium (P. alci- 

 corne}) [P. Stemmaria, Desv.^ 



In Prince's Island I wandered, while climbing the highest peak 

 (Pico de Papagaio), for a whole hour among flowering examples of 

 Caladium bicolor, and many other splendid tropical species, which are 

 not to be found in Sir W. Hooker's recently published ' Flora Ni- 

 gritiana.' Of Filices alone I collected about Free-town in Sierra 

 Leone, and on Prince's Island, above twenty species, mostly gigantic 

 forms ; among them a Gleichenia (anne Gl. Hermanni, R. Br. ?), 

 •• stipite scandente saepiiis 25-pedali." 



I arrived in Loanda (Sao Paulo de Loando), the capital of Angola, 

 in the beginning of October 1853, and since that time I have not 



Ann, l<^ May. N. Hist, Ser.2. Volw, 20 



