48 A NATURALIST IN THE TRANSVAAL. 



streets were nearly empty a fire indoors would have 

 been comfortable, and a heavy ulster was found none too 



* 



warm. At night thunder rolled, and the rain falling 

 with a rattle on our roof of corrugated iron effectually 

 banished sleep. In a few days reports came in from all 

 sides of the Transvaal detailing the severity of the 

 weather. From Barberton we learned that the intense 

 heat prevailing there for some time had broken up, and 

 a furious gale had ensued, followed by heavy rain and 

 intense cold, the surrounding mountains beina; snow- 



3 O O 



capped. From Ermelo news came of a heavy snow-storm 

 and anticipations of severe losses in live stock. In the 

 Klip River country the snow also fell, and one farmer 

 lost four hundred sheep and twenty horses within 

 twenty-four hours. At Lydenburg snow fell in some 

 instances two inches deep, though this weather was 

 pronounced to be an unusual phenomenon. Between 

 Pretoria and Barberton, on the high veld, I was assured 

 that thousands of sheep and oxen were lying killed by 

 the cold acting on their present half-fed and poor con- 

 dition. All the month of October was wet and usually 

 cold ; the veld had become perfectly saturated, and we 

 now only anticipated a clear sky to enable the increasing 

 strength of the solar rays to act as the magician's wand 

 in the transformation scene of Nature. 



During one of these rainy October days the air was 

 filled about noon with numbers of a small winged form 

 of the Termite, or White Ant (Termes, sp.), which 

 pursued a slow flight through the drenching rain. I 

 found them emerging in continuous columns through 

 small holes on the level veld, which scarcely allowed for 

 the passage of more than one, or at most two, at a time, 

 when they immediately took wing and hovered around. 

 They were, however, being devoured by the large and 

 handsome frog (Sana adspersa), which I had not seen 

 before, and which also issued from holes on the veld. 

 These frogs stationed themselves near the holes from 

 which the termites emerged, and literally gorged them- 



* O 



selves to repletion. A smaller and duller-coloured toad 

 regularis] and a handsome green and spotted frog 



