320 SUCCULENT KAROO VEGETATION. 



dry regions that the vegetation is of a peculiarly 

 succulent character: the stoiing up of juices in its 

 fibres being doubtless an effort of Nature to enable 

 these plants and herbs to resist the long and trying 

 droughts. Without some provision of this kind, the 

 great probabilities are that they would dry up and 

 finally perish ; but as we shall show in its proper place, 

 in our following chapter, the true deserts themselves 

 are generally full of succulent bulbs and dwarf fleshy- 

 leafed bushes, which supply the place of water wher- 

 ever there is vegetation, and so certain animals are 

 enabled to maintain existence in districts entirely 

 deprived of surface water. The vegetation of the 

 South African Karroos is full of instances of this kind. 



But this peculiar organization among certain animals, 

 enabling them to do without drinking under such cir- 

 cumstances, is by no means entirely confined to dry 

 regions, though there, of course, the most remarkable 

 instances of it are found. In our own country, as we 

 know, the rabbit will do in fields where it cannot get 

 to water; and the mouse in houses and other dry 

 places, where not even green food is obtainable. So 

 also sheep upon most English farm lands, if in good 

 health, rarely require to drink water ; the dewy succu- 

 lent meadow grass is quite sufficient for them. In 

 dry countries like South Africa and Australia, however, 

 where the herbage becomes desiccated, all animals require 

 to visit the water springs regularly. 



There are, as we know, many animals, like the horse 

 for instance, that require water at least twice in the 

 twenty-four hours. So also among game animals there 

 are certain species which are never found far from 

 water; when therefore the streams begin to dry up, 



