178 THE FOREST LANDS OF NORTHEEN RODESIA. 
impress to the occupations, manners, and mode of life of 
the population. 
‘With animal life in this country I am but little 
acquainted, having given little attention to zoology ; but 
researches devoted to the fauna, and more especially to 
the fishes of this district, could not fail to bring to light 
many interesting facts. There is one kind of fish called 
the pelea, belonging principally, if not exclusively, to these 
northern lakes, which has not had its natural history 
studied, or been itself scientifically described. Amongst 
herbivorous animals, the foremost places must be assigned 
to the elk and deer, and to the brown bear, and perhaps to 
the wild boar. Besides these in the woods, wolves, foxes, 
and hares are met with, and water-fowl, but no lies or 
cas [ 
: ‘The Vuig forests consist mainly of pines, firs, birches, 
aspens, the mountain ash, hoary-leaved alder (Alnus incana) 
elder, dwarf birch (Betula nana), and some dwarf willows, 
cherry trees, honeysuckle, the sloe, and the wild rose. Of 
the suffruticose bushes, which constitute what may be 
called an under-covering of the soil, the following are met 
with—blaeberries, cranberries or Brousnika, crowberries, 
stone brambles, &c., and the ground is almost everywhere 
covered with marsh moss (Sphagnum palustris), or reindeer 
moss (Cladonia rangiferina) ; the former ou marsh or bog 
land, and low damp places, forming a layer of great depth ; 
the second covering higher lying places, hills, and fre- 
quently growing on bare granite. Sometimes along with 
the sphagnum there grows another moss called Kijkum, or 
flax.’ 
Mr Judre did not meet with any hardy or broad-leaved 
tree besides those named, although there is reason to 
believe that some grow in the northern part of an adjacent 
district. From the result of his inquiries at the peasants, 
he was satisfied that there were none here, as they seemed 
to have no idea of such trees as he described, ‘For the 
first appearance of such,’ says he, ‘they must be looked 
for in the eastern, not in the northern, part of the Govern- 
