BOTANY. 395 



of the plants collected between Pietermaritzburg and the 

 Crocodile River were obtained. Some of them, however, 

 were probably collected in the eastern portion of the Kala- 

 hari Region, where those labelled Crocodile River were 

 unquestionably obtained. These latter, therefore, for the 

 most part at least, belong to what may be termed the 

 Transvaal Flora, already pointed out as somewhat inter- 

 mediate between that of the two Regions in question. 

 It will be observed that most of the plants from the two 

 localities just mentioned belong to species already known ; 

 but on turning to those collected in Matabele Land it 

 will at once be seen how little is known of the Flora of 

 this district. The Tropic of Capricorn is now crossed, 

 and the South African Regions left behind. Tropical 

 Africa, too, may be naturally subdivided ; and Matabele 

 Land belongs to what, in the ' Flora of Tropical Africa,' 

 has been termed the South Central District. Although 

 our knowledge is at present so imperfect, it is clear that 

 a certain amount of homogeneity prevails in the Flora 

 from the southern part of Matabele Land and Lake 

 Ngami to the Upper Zambesi, and the district lying 

 between Lakes Nyassa and Tanganyika, as will be seen 

 from remarks appended to some of the species described 

 in this paper. On the west is the Angolan Flora, pretty 

 well known from the large collections made by the late 

 Dr. Welwitsch, and evidently very distinct from the one 

 now under consideration. On the east is the Mozambique 

 District ; on the north Abyssinia and the Upper Nile 

 District ; while to the west of this again is the great 

 Western Forest-region ; all possessing a large assemblage 

 of plants not found in the South Central District. 



Besides Mr. Oates's plants some others were collected 

 in Matabele Land by Mr. T. Baines, about 1872, and by 

 Dr. Holub and the Rev. W. Elliott at a later date ; while 

 in surrounding districts may be mentioned those collected 

 by Mr. Joseph M'Cabe, near Lake Ngami ; by Dr. (now 

 Sir John) Kirk, and Dr. Meller, in the Upper Zambesi 

 District ; and by Mr. Thomson in the neighbourhood of 



