Proceedings. vii 



Dr. Mum r drew the attention of those interested in Bushman 

 drawings to the desirability of examining the soil at the foot of any 

 rock on which such drawings might be found, and especially if the 

 place seemed suitable as a haunt or as a refuge. To show the 

 importance of this suggestion, he instanced the result of a hurried 

 examination made by himself at the base of a rock near Molteno 

 about five years ago, and he now exhibited a number of interesting 

 objects obtained in the same manner in the Oudtshoorn division, 

 and recently handed over to him by Mr. Blore, surveyor. 



Mr. Alston exhibited and read some notes on some Euphorbia, 

 one of which showed a remarkable instance of fascination, and 

 one of which he thought might prove well worthy of acclima- 

 tisation in certain parts of the Karoo. Mr. Alston said : " This 

 Euphorbia (E. cervicomis) seems to be limited, as to range, to 

 the brak Karoo slopes stretching between the Olifant's and Orange 

 Bivers, and west of the Kamiesbergen and the high Bushman- 

 land plateau. I am told that it does not grow on the Kamies- 

 bergen where the water is fresh, and it certainly does not grow 

 in the sandy waste immediately bordering the coast. It is 

 probably the most valuable natural botanical production in Nama- 

 qualand, a district noted for its curious flora. It is gratefully 

 eaten by cattle, and without it farmers and transport-riders would 

 be badly handicapped in moving from place to place in time 

 of drought. Unfortunately it is in imminent danger of eradica- 

 tion. Left to itself, its large beet-shaped root is quite safe, and its 

 crown of dwarf stems nearly so. Moreover, it seeds freely, each 

 little stemlet carrying its one, two, or more globular seed-vessels. 

 Less clever than the plant, farmers sacrifice it to their want without 

 mercy, but never sow a seed save by accident. The whole plant, 

 heavily charged with a bland, milky sap, is ruthlessly chopped 

 out of the ground and carried off by the waggon-load in order 

 to feed hungry cattle on the farm itself, or to supply them 

 with food when on the way to the coast or the village for 

 supplies, starting in a dry season with a full load of the plants, 

 say to Port Nolloth or Hondeklip Bay. At each outspan a suffi- 

 ciency is roughly chopped up with a heavy knife or light axe 

 for the immediate use of the draught cattle, and a like portion 

 is commonly stored, perhaps in a gravel-pit, perhaps only along- 

 side a bush. At the port the last lot is used, the waggon is 

 loaded with grain or merchandise, and the return journey is only 

 made possible by utilising the little stores of E. cervicomis at the 

 outspans along the way. Cattle become so accustomed to being fed 



