TOADS IN TREES. 453 



inch long. The leaf might be nearly perpendicular, but 

 it stuck to it like a fry. It was of the same size as the 

 Bvachymerus bi-fasciatus (Smith),* which I saw only 

 once in the Bakwain country. Though small, it was 

 hideous, being coloured jet-black, with vermilion spots. 



Before reaching the Makondo rivulet, latitude 13 23 r 

 12" S., we came upon the tsetse in such numbers, that 

 many bites were inflicted on my poor ox, in spite of a 

 man with a branch warding them off. The bite of this 

 insect does not affect the donkey as it does cattle. The 

 next morning, the spots on which my ox had been bitten, 

 were marked by patches of hair, about half an inch broad,, 

 being wetted by exudation. Poor Sinbad had carried 

 me all the way from the Leeba to Golungo Alto, and all 

 the way back again, without losing any of his peculiarities, 

 or ever becoming reconciled to our perversity in forcing 

 him away each morning from the pleasant pasturage on 

 which he had fed. I wished to give the climax to his 

 usefulness, and allay our craving for animal food at the 

 same time, but, my men having some compunction, we 

 carried him to end his days in peace at Naliele. 



* The discovery of this last species is thus mentioned by that 

 accomplished naturalist, Dr. Smith : "On the banks of the Limpopo 

 river, close to the tropic of Capricorn, a massive tree was cut down to 

 obtain wood to repair a waggon. The workman, while sawing the 

 trunk longitudinally nearly along its centre, remarked, on reaching a 

 certain point, ' It is hollow, and will not answer the purpose for 

 which it is wanted.' He persevered, however, and when a division 

 into equal halves was effected, it was discovered that the saw in its 

 course had crossed a large hole in which were five specimens of the 

 species just described, each about an inch in length. Every exertion 

 was made to discover a means of communication between the external 

 air and the cavity, but without success. Every part of the latter was 

 probed with the utmost care, and water was kept in each half for a 

 considerable time, without any passing into the wood. The inner 

 surface of the cavity was black, as if charred, and so was likewise the 

 adjoining wood for half an inch from the cavity. The tree, at the 

 part where the latter existed, was 19 inches in diameter, the length of 

 the trunk was 18 feet. The age, which was observed at the time, I 

 regret to say does not appear to be noted. When the Batrachia above 

 mentioned were discovered, they appeared inanimate, but the influence 

 of a warm sun to which they were subjected, soon imparted to them a 

 moderate degree of vigour. In a few hours from the time they were 

 liberated, they were tolerably active, and able to move from place to 

 place apparently with great ease." 



