394 APPENDIX. 



it crosses it for some distance. It is an elevated country, 

 averaging from 4000 to 5000 feet above sea-level. The 

 rainfall is extremely scanty, and almost confined to the 

 summer months. The summer temperature is almost as 

 high as that of the Karroo, with occasional hailstorms, 

 while that of the winter is much lower ; severe frosts 

 being common, with occasional snow. 



The most striking characteristic of the vegetation is 

 the abundance of Compositae, both in species and in- 

 dividuals ; while Ficoideae and Crassulaceae occupy a 

 much lower position than in the Karroo Region. But in 

 its negative features, or in the comparative deficiency of 

 the characteristic types of the two first-named Regions, 

 there is a marked agreement between it and the Karroo 

 Region. 



The Kalahari Region comprises the remainder of 

 extra-tropical South Africa. The surface of the country 

 is mostly very sandy ; and the rainfall, though consider- 

 able, is almost entirely one of summer thunderstorms. 

 The climate is not fully known, though the heat in 

 summer is great, the nights cool, and even frosty in 

 winter. 



Except in its eastern part the Flora is comparatively 

 little known. It is essentially a grass country, open in 

 its southern part ; but towards its northern boundary, 

 which there corresponds with the southern limit of palms, 

 dense forests occur. After the summer rains the grasses 

 shoot up rapidly to three or four feet, or even higher. 

 Compared with the two preceding Regions the com- 

 parative scarcity of Compositae, Crassulaceae, and Ficoideae, 

 is one of its most marked features. Towards the eastern 

 edge of the Region, including part of the Transvaal and 

 the Orange Free State, the Flora passes gradually over to 

 that of the South-Eastern Region. 



Portions of two of these Regions were traversed by Mr. 

 Oates, and in both of them plants were collected. After 

 leaving D'Urban, for a distance of nearly 100 miles he 

 traversed the South-Eastern Region, in which part at least 



