98 A NATURALIST IN MID-AFRICA. 



blance is not an effect of fancy, but is really borne 

 out by a variety of botanical details not suited to 

 a book of travels. A curious difference lies in the 

 absence of Conifers (except Podocarpus), which are 

 replaced by bamboos, but with this exception the 

 parallel is very curious. 



From the various facts given in Chapter XII., it 

 will be seen that Teneriffe would at one time have 

 lain at the extreme end of the Sahara sea, which 

 may have extended to the Abyssinian mountains, 

 with which latter Euwenzori is certainly closely 

 related florally. 



In some of the narrow corries about 11,000 feet, 

 one finds an extraordinary development of heather 

 trees. Some were certainly nearly 2 feet in dia- 

 meter, and I estimated their height as 80 feet ! 



On emerging from the bamboos in a very tired 

 and hot and wet condition, I always used to sit 

 down beside the violets (Viola Abijssinica) and 

 watch the myriads of small bees, butterflies, and 

 long-tongued buzzing Hies (Bomhyliihe) which were 

 always busy upon it. One of these butterflies 

 appears to be a new species, Amauris Elliotii. 

 All were quite different from those seen in the 

 lower slopes ; but it is one of the peculiarities of 

 Euwenzori that butterflies are not by any means 

 common, whereas they seem to swarm in the low- 

 level forests of the Victoria region. 



On the other hand, sunbirds are common on the 

 mountain. One of these, Nectarinia Kilimense 



