834 PRESIDENTS ADDRESS. 



siflence of, say, 2500 fathoms since the Cretaceous 1 That is all 

 that is necessary. 



Last year I referred to the comparison made by Dr. Hooker in 

 his Introduction to the "Flora of Tasmania." The following 

 additional particulars from Dr. Harry Bolus's article in the " Cape 

 Handbook " will be of interest. 



The region over which the Proteacete are found, and to which 

 they are practically confined, is the south-west region. It is a 

 narrow strip about 400 miles long, extending from and including 

 Cape Town to Port Elizabeth, when it gradually but rapidly 

 merges into the tropical African region. The vegetation of this 

 latter region, like the luxuriant vegetation on our own east coast, 

 extends southwards from the tropics far into temperate latitudes. 

 The width of the south-west African region is about 50 or 60 

 miles on the average, and its northern boundary is a very sharply 

 defined one. To the north is the Karroo region, a particularly 

 remarkable one also as will be seen. The flora of the south-west 

 region is charactei'ised by abundance of Rutacete, Bruniacesfi, 

 Ericaceae, Proteacepe, Restiaceae, Leguminoste, and some others. 

 The Karroo region which adjoins it on the north is noted for the 

 complete absence of the orders named, and for the scarcity of 

 Leguminosfe. The other regions of South Africa mentioned by 

 Mr. Bolus are the Composite and the Kalahari, but these do not 

 interest us to the same extent. 



South Africa is, in Mr. Balus's paper, assumed to be limited 

 by the Tropic of Capricorn. It exhibits a most remarkable 

 variety of plant life, and a comparison with Australia presents 

 some remarkable analogies : — 



Australia contains 152 orders and 1300 genera. 

 S. Africa ,, 142 „ ,, 1255 „ 



In Australia there are 520 endemic genera. 

 S. Africa „ 446 ,, „ 



But it is to be noticed that the area of Australia is five times 

 that of South Africa, and it extends northwards to 10° south 

 latitude, instead of being limited by the Tropic of Capricorn. 



