86 
FLoRA AND Fauna. 
When asked in 1896 by the authorities at Kew to make a 
collection of the flora of this country, we were told that it was 
practically a terra incognita to the botanist—a fact sufficiently 
demonstrated by our capture of no less than 92 new species out of 
a total of 373, and it still affords an immense field of exploration 
for the botanist. The specimens which have now been determined 
were, with a few exceptions, collected in and around the Kwebe 
Hills, which are situated some 20 miles south of Lake Ngami. 
The collection may be considered representative of this part of the 
Northern Kalahari Desert, and, with the exception of the grasses, 
it is fairly exhaustive. The flora of the river area differs to some 
extent. The Kwebe Hills are an isolated group of low, bush-clad 
intersecting valleys. The range, which was formerly well supplied 
with springs, is now devoid of water save for two water- pits ; 
no plant which did not grow in or around these hills, there were 
Although situated within the Tropics, the Northern Kalahari 
Desert, with its limited rainfall and its elevation of some 
of a few Borassus palms at the T’klakanj water-pits and on the Botletli 
Flats. The trees are all deciduous, there is practically no evergreen 
in the Kalahari away from the rivers. The great majority of trees 
are of the Acacia family, of which the largest and most handsome 
is the 4. Girajfae ; we discovered three new species. The baobab 
(Adansonia digitata) grows in great numbers in the Kwebe Hills, 
and occurs less plentifully in other parts of the country. It does 
not here attain a greater girth than 50 to 60 feet. The “ Machi- 
the east, the Mopani ( Copaifera Mopane) covers large areas in 
places where the soil is less sandy. The only hardwood trees of 
ge orem are confined to the river banks. Only on the 
e Oka 
(Khaya sp.) does not extend so f 
i ar south ; there are no cypress Or 
gt trees, and no rubber- ielding trees or “ tha es,” all 
os Mt ic ais found in the countries of. heavier rainfall immediately 
: ¢north. In fact there would appear to be no valuable timber 
