."212 Transactions of the SoutJi African Philosophical Society. 



rank in a higher position in our Peninsula List than they would in 

 that of the South-western Eegion as a whole, while some others 

 would be proportionately lower ; but the differences would probably 

 be inconsiderable. 



Sketch of the Physiography of the Peninsula. 



The Peninsula itself is traversed throughout its entire length by 

 a range of mountains (with some lower intervals) which are at their 

 loftiest point in the well-known Table Mountain, near Cape Town 

 (3,562 feet) ; and which gradually diminish toward their southern 

 extremity. 



The exposed rocks are, for the most part, the series known as the 

 *' Table Mountain Sandstone " ; secondly, and chiefly on the Lion's 

 Mountain, the older clay-slate, or " Malmesbury Beds." The soil 

 from the first formation is chiefly of a sandy character, with, in some 

 parts, a remarkably small admixture of humus ; from the clay-slate 

 it is a reddish, not very tenacious, clay. These are pierced, here and 

 there, by outcrops of granite, which are of comparatively small 

 superficial extent. With insignificant exceptions tertiary deposits 

 are absent, occurring only in low places and of shallow depth. The 

 influence of soils upon the distribution of plants in South Africa has 

 not yet been investigated, and would be a new and interesting field 

 for the student of oecological botany. 



Meteorology. 



The mean annual temperature is 61°-25 F. (16°-25 C.) at the Eoyal 

 Observatory, about 40 feet above the sea-level ; of the six summer 

 months 68° F. (20° C.) ; of the six winter months 54°-5 F. (12°-5 C). 

 The minimum temperature recorded at the same station in the year 

 1898 was 34°-l F. (in June) ; the maximum, in a Stevenson screen, 

 950-7 ;p. (in Feb.). These extremes are of short duration and 

 infrequent occurrence, and vary in different parts of the Peninsula. 

 Frosts are practically unknown, and never such as to affect the 

 vine, which is largely cultivated. 



The rainfall varies considerably in different parts of the Penin- 

 sula, owing, apparently, to the position of each spot relatively to 

 the conformation of the mountains, and to the prevailing rain- 

 bearing winds. For the ten years 1885-1894 the annual average 

 fall was at Sea Point, 21-35 inches; in Cape Town, 23-84; at the 

 Eoyal Observatory, 27-95 ; at Wynberg, 42-83 ; on Table Mountain 

 (Waai Kopje), 61*97 in. The extremes are considerable. At the 



