<)4 



A NATURALIST IN MID-AFRICA. 



erubescens Bendle) which is all over the curious 

 reel colour which one often sees on the leaves 

 and stems, e.g., of our common Herb-Kobert in 

 England. 



Other instances of this sort of flora may be 

 seen, e.g., on the limestone hillocks about Alexan- 

 dria, and on Table Mountain summit. 



Shortly before entering the forest proper, one 



is sensibly impressed 



« 



by the extremely 

 dense nature of the 

 bush bordering it, 

 which can be best 

 described as a hedge 

 of indefinite thick- 

 ness through which 

 the way had to be 

 regularly bored. 



This can be easily 

 shown by a figure. 

 It is practically a 

 bush, and very much 



Piy'. 17. — Bush and Foiiest. 



as if one tried to .walk through the tops of the 

 trees in a particularly dense forest. The wind 

 on the orchid and grass ridges has free scope and 

 prevents permanent humidity, and the formation 

 of tall, straight trunks, which do not occur till 

 one has definitely entered the dark cool aisles of 

 the forest proper. 



The hand of man even on Ruwenzori is not 



