NOVEMBER 26, 1903] 
NATO Tee 
83 
creepers. Except, indeed, in the matter of tree-orchids, 
which are not very well represented, the flowers of 
Nyasaland are scarcely surpassed either in respect of | 
variety or brilliancy by those of any other part of the 
world. It is true that, except here and there in the 
hills, they do not often grow so close together as to 
present unbroken masses of colour; and therefore the | 
estimate which any particular person may form of 
them, as a whole, depends to some extent on his powers 
of observation. Still, short of always travelling in a 
machilla and always falling asleep in it, there is no 
possibility of overlooking them entirely. Ground- 
orchids flourish almost everywhere. Among lilies we 
have the Crinum, with its long, heavy, pure white 
blossoms; and a most effective little tiger-lily of bright 
gold and deep cardinal red; also a tree-lily (Vellozia), 
so wonderfully beautiful that, as Sir Harry Johnston 
says, ‘even the botanists of Kew were touched, and 
| apparently still exist in parts of the Shire Province. 
It has been generally supposed that this antelope con- 
fined its range within this protectorate to the regions 
west and north-east of Lake Nyasa, and did not inter- 
mingle, so to speak, with the area of its near ally, the 
sable antelope. Mr. Duff, however, shows that the 
roan antelope has been shot in the Shire High- 
lands. He alludes several times to rumours of the 
striped hyzena existing within the limits of the pro- 
tectorate. We are, as a matter of fact, very ignorant 
yet as to the exact number of species or varieties of the 
hyzena genus existing in Africa, and the limits of the 
range of each species or variety. The actual range 
of the true striped hyzena is, of course, northern as 
compared to the existing southern range of the spotted 
hyzna. The striped hyzna is the only species of this 
group which at the present day is found beyond the 
geographical limits of Africa, its range extending 
Fic. 1.—Wankonde of North Nyasa. 
called it splendens.’ Then mauve irises spring up in 
countless thousands during the rains, and pink and 
crimson gladioli, and pale 
hibiscuses too, anemones, gentians, flowering beans— 
hundreds of plants, too, whose names are unknown to | 
me, and many others perhaps which have escaped 
classification at the hands of the very few scientific 
botanists who have exploited the flora of the country.” 
The author is incorrect in some of his guesses as to 
the names of plants and trees. On pp. 111 and 112 
the “* euphorbiaceous ”’ plant or tree to which he refers 
is none other than a common form of Draczna or 
tree-lily, used throughout many parts of tropical Africa 
for hedges or enclosures. 
The author has many interesting notes and original 
observations on the fauna. He shows that, contrary 
to the belief of such authorities as Sir Alfred Sharpe 
and Sir Harry Johnston, the roan antelope does 
NO. 1778, VOL. 69] 
yellow marguerites, | 
From ‘ Nyasaland,” by H. L. Duff. 
through Syria, parts of Asia Minor and Arabia 
(? southern Persia) into Baluchistan and India. How 
far it penetrates into equatorial Africa is not accurately 
determined at the present time by indisputable 
evidence. It certainly reaches the Gambia River in 
West Africa. It is found in Abyssinia and some of 
the Nile countries, and in Somaliland. It has been 
reported to exist on the slopes of Kilimanjaro, and as 
far south as Unyamwezi, and also to be found in the 
eastern part of the Uganda Protectorate; but inas- 
much as that curious creature the aard wolf (Proteles) 
very closely (in the eyes of the natives) resembles a 
dwarfed form of striped hyzena, and as the aard wolf 
is found at intervals throughout the whole eastern half 
of Africa from Cape Colony to Abyssinia, it is possible 
that some of the stories of striped hyzenas existing in 
British Central Africa, German and British East 
Africa may refer only to the aard wolf. The brown 
