KiO IJAT GIAXO IN iai()J)i;SIA. 



lorm, whereas the other forms have to iinder<^() ( lumg-es due 

 to bacterial action before they can be assimihtted by phmts 

 ill f^'eneral ; therefore, in an application of bat pinmo there 

 may be a gradual su])ply of available nitrogen. It is no doubt 

 due to the above facts that the (supjiosed) su])eriority of 

 " g'uanos " over other artificial fertilisers has been assigned. 



Phosphdiir Jhit (tik/iios. — It is in damp caves, where 



bacterial action lias taken place and possibly the deposit has 



been subjected to leaching, that ])h()sphatic bat guano is 

 formed. 



Bat Guano Dei'osits ( >(C'Ureing in the (jatooma District : 

 Umniati and N'Gondoma Caves. 



a. umniati caves. 



These are situated 47 miles north-west from Gatooma, 

 on a hill lying about 800 yards from the Umniati River. 

 On this hill four limestone caves have been located, three of 

 which are designated by tlie owners Xos. 1, 1a and 2, M'iiilst 

 the fourth has not yet been examined owing to the difficulty 

 of gaining entrance thereto. 



Description of Care ]\o. 1. — TJiis is the princijial cave of 

 the ITmniati group, the entrance to it being located on the 

 lower side of the hill. In short, this cave may be described 

 as consisting of a series of chambers, in the walls of which 

 there are recesses in all sides. The chambers, the roofs of 

 which are either dome-shaped or more or less fiat, vary con- 

 siderably in shape and size. The main chamber is, roughly. 

 30 feet wide by 40 feet long. 



Among the most interesting' features, apart from the 

 actual guano deposits, in these chambers are : — 



(a) The light yellow, snow white or reddish colour of 



the roof. 



(b) The dependent stalactites and the presence in the 



Avails of narrow vertical seams of white quartz, 

 ranging from one-eighth to one-half inch in 

 thickness. 



(c) The intense heat in the more remote portions of the 



cave, comparable with that of a Turkish bath. 



(d) The variation in the colouring of the guano deposit 



at depth, brown, white, black, yellow and red 

 colours being noted in one section to a depth of 

 eight feet from the surface. 



(e) The immense number of bats, some of which have 



a wing spread of more than two feet. 



The vastness of the number will be appreciated from 

 the fact that for an hour after sunset I witnessed a continuous 



