6 NeAVEj A Journey to North-east Rhodesia. 



like character so often described by African travellers. 

 There are also patches of dense jungle, mainly composed 

 of evergreen trees, and usually found on the banks of 

 streams. 



There can be but little doubt that the annual bush 

 fires in the dry season, universal in this country, have had 

 a marked effect upon the flora, and to a less extent the 

 fauna, of this part of Africa. It is perhaps one of the 

 reasons why fine timber, except near water, is extremely 

 scarce. 



The collections made cover most of the orders of the 

 animal kingdom, and detailed accounts of the more 

 important groups will shortly be published. 



An opportunity of returning shortly to Central Africa 

 prevents me from myself publishing an account of some 

 of the Lepidoptera, in addition to the Birds, as I had 

 hoped to do. I am glad to say, however, that I have 

 been able to leave this part of the work in the competent 

 hands of my friend, Dr. F. A. Dixey, of Wadham College, 

 Oxford. 



I was unable through lack of time to make a large 

 botanical collection. Flowering plants I found chiefly 

 conspicuous at the higher elevations, and at the beginning 

 and after the end of the rains, i.e., the Spring and Autumn 

 of the year. 



I made a somewhat large number of notes upon 

 native names of the specimens collected. They are 

 mainly the names used by the Manganja, Achawa, and 

 other Lake Nyassa tribes and those of the Asenga in 

 the lower Loangwa valley. A few were obtained from 

 the Alala and Alamba people on the plateau. The 

 average native's knowledge of the Fauna of his country 

 is remarkably good, though individuals vary very much 

 in this particular. 



