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Proceedings of the Royal Society 
one to the other like a bush vine. The flowers are of a pale yellow, 
and last for but a short time during the months preceding the first 
rains of the season (October and November). The fruit is ripe in 
June, and collected by the natives, who separate the rough outer 
coat before drying it, preserving the more leathery inner covering 
and the seeds.”* 
Dr Livingstone gives some interesting information regarding the 
poison in his “ Narrative of an Expedition to the Zambesi and its 
Tributaries.” He mentions that arrows poisoned with it are used 
for killing wild animals only ; arrows destined for the more noble 
object of killing men being poisoned with the entrails of a small 
caterpillar. Dr Livingstone says that in hunting, the natives follow 
the game with great perseverance and cunning : — “ The arrow, mak- 
ing no noise, the herd is followed until the poison takes effect, and 
the wounded animal falls out ; it is then patiently watched till it 
drops ; a portion of meat round the wound is cut away, and all the 
rest eaten” (p. 465). 
Dr Livingstone also says that the poisoned arrows are made in 
two pieces. “ An iron barb is firmly fastened to one end of a small 
wand of wood, ten inches or a foot long, the other end of which, 
fined down to a long point, is nicely fitted, though not otherwise 
secured, in the hollow of the reed which forms the arrow-shaft. 
The wood immediately below the iron head is smeared with the 
poison. When the arrow is shot into an animal, the reed either 
falls to the ground at once, or is very soon brushed off by the bushes ; 
but the iron barb and poisoned upper part of the wood remain in 
the wound. If made in one piece, the arrow would often be torn 
out, head and all, by the long shaft catching in the underwood, and 
striking against trees ” (p. 466). 
The follicles examined by the author vary in length from about 
nine and three-fourths, to about twelve and one-fourth inches, and 
in greatest thickness from about one inch to three-fourths of an inch, 
and they vary in weight from about 130 to 330 grains. They con- 
tain from 100 to 200 seeds, each of which weighs about half a grain, 
and has attached to it a beautiful comose appendix, placed on an 
extremely brittle stalk. For the identification of the plant the 
author is indebted to Professor Oliver of Kew, who writes, in a letter 
* Extract from letter to Professor Sharpey, dated January 1, 18G4. 
