240 TRANSACTIONS. 
Admirals, pure white Papilios, and Acreas with bright red spots 
on their wings, are all very common in the darker places. Some- 
times one sees a millipede about 10 inches long, with hundreds of 
twinkling red feet crawling over the path, and a very large wood- 
louse, which roJls into a ball about an inch in diameter, is very 
common. But the insects are a study in themselves in Madagas- 
car. When one emerges from the forest into the interior, the 
difference is extraordinary. As far as the eye can reach, there is 
nothing but range after range of bleak granite hills covered with a 
uniform grey grass broken by low scrubby perennials. Only small 
bushes with heath-like leaves seem able to live on the soil, which 
is a hard red clay, the debris of the granitic and gneissose rocks. 
The flowers are usually very inconspicuous, and it is most remark- 
able to find Rubiacea such as Anthospermum, Leguminose e.g. 
Indigofera, Hypericums, Stachys, Philippias, &c, all taking the 
same appearance. There is even an extraordinary Monocotyledon 
which has done its best to become something of the same kind— 
Vellosia. Where there is more water the flowers are more beauti- 
ful, and it is in such places that one finds Disas and Habenarias 
with long stalks and bright pink and white flowers, or that 
most beautiful Gentian Tachiadenus with a corolla 4 inches long, 
and the handsome shrubby Impatiens forms; but it is impossible to 
do justice to these flowers in such a paper as this. 
The main features of the flora are, however, easy to under- 
stand. There is a certain number of seaside plants usually the 
same as those found along the Eastern Coast of Africa. The 
flanks of the mountains are covered with forest, and this flora 
shows most affinity with the forest plants of the East African 
Coast, while the bare steppe-like highlands of the interior are 
covered with plants which show distinct relationship with the 
similar grassy plateaux of the Transvaal and the Shiré Highlands. 
Il. Annan: Its Historical and Literary Associations. 
By Mr FRANK MILLER. 
Mr Miller said the town which he had been asked to describe 
was interesting to every student of Scottish history as one of the 
famous old border burghs. Owing to its geographical position, it 
was sadly exposed to the fury of invaders during the long-con- 
tinued wars with England ; and again and again it was the scene 
of desperate conflict. When at length the union of the crowns 
secured a permanent peace, it was universally acknowledged that 
