viii Transactions of the South African Philosophical Society. 



with this plant near the waggons, that they do not willingly stray in 

 search of local herbage, but after three or four days' course of the 

 plant salt, or its equivalent, seems to become a necessity, and they 

 will for a little while graze voraciously on the bushes growing in the 

 brak river-beds, returning, however, to the waggons in the hope of 

 getting their usual rations. The habits of this plant seem to promise 

 well for its easy naturalisation in other Karoo districts, and an 

 attempt to achieve this end is well worth the making by our stock 

 farmers. The local name of the plant is Olifant Melkbosch ; the 

 roots grow to a considerable size, and the crown of stems often 

 exceeds a foot in diameter. 



Dr. Gilchrist, the marine biologist, exhibited a collection of flat- 

 fishes (Plcuronectidce) from various localities in the Colony. The 

 collection was complete as far as the known species of these fish 

 in the Colony was concerned, but besides it contained one, and 

 possibly two species new to science. The collection comprised 

 the following: (1) ^noglossus capensis, Blgr., a new flat-fish found 

 in False Bay by the Government trawler. It is allied to the British 

 " Scald fish." (2) Solea blcekeri, the nearest approach to the sole, 

 of northern waters that is found in the Colony. The specimen 

 was found by the Civil Commissioner, Knysna, and kindly forwarded. 

 (3) Achirus capensis, Kaup., of which nothing was known of its 

 habits until now. It is found in great quantity at a very young stage 

 in Muizenberg Ylei, but, curiously enough, no adult specimen was 

 found during the investigations of the Government steamer. (4) 

 Synaptura pectoralis, Kaup., the Port Elizabeth sole, which may be 

 readily distinguished from (5) Synaptura microlepis, Blkr., by the 

 fact that in the former the right pectoral fin is longer than the head, 

 and in the latter it is shorter. (6) Cynoglossus capensis, Kaup., 

 which occurs in abundance in False Bay, but does not grow to a 

 large size. It is normally a " left-handed " sole, and is more lightly 

 coloured on the upper side than any of the others, the pectoral fins 

 are absent as in Achirus capensis. In the collection was also another 

 specimen from Knysna, which is probably a new species. There 

 are thus six, and probably seven, kinds of valuable flat-fish found 

 in colonial waters, and in view of the present defective know- 

 ledge of the marine resources of the Colony there may be others. 

 It has indeed been reported from the Kowie that the valuable fish 

 the turbot has been found. 



Dr. Gilchrist explained at length the evolution of the shape of 

 the sole. 



