6 
F. E. Weiss. 
season its leaves were closely folded like small fans and curved up 
over the growing points (PI. 2, fig. 5b), while the branches even bent 
upwards so that the main shoots had almost the appearance of 
birch rods. The surface of the leaves is strongly pigmented with 
anthocyanin, which is no doubt useful to the plant as a protection 
against excessive insolation during the period of drought. After 
the first rains, the leaves open out fresh and green (fig. 5a), and the 
appearance of the shrub undergoes a remarkable change. Even 
branches which have been gathered four months ago revive in what 
seems a miraculous manner when placed in water for a day or two, 
and appear quite fresh and living. As in the Vellozia mentioned 
above, there seem to be no special groups of motor cells to effect 
the opening of these fan-shaped leaves as there are in the xerophytic 
grasses of moorlands and sand hills, but the leaf as a whole becomes 
turgid and swells up, thereby becoming partially flattened. As a 
protection for the axillary buds the leaf bases of the opposite leaves 
are fused into a sheath which persists even after the leaf-blades 
have fallen away. This plant is also characterised by the possession 
of numerous oil glands in its epidermis, which may possibly be 
of service in lessening the evaporation, as has been suggested for 
some Labiatae possessing similar glands. 
A six days trek across the Transvaal from Pretoria to Mafeking 
through the Rustenburg and Marico districts gave us an oppor¬ 
tunity of becoming acquainted with some portions of the Bushveld 
which have great agricultural possibilities as soon as extensive 
irrigation works supply the necessary water, and a projected light 
railway renders the Johannesburg market accessible to the farmers. 
At present except for small irrigated portions the district is mainly 
given over to cattle farming, and unfortunately Horse Sickness and 
the East Coast Tick Fever have of late years proved very disastrous 
to the live stock. 
Extensive grass fires, too, started in parts to destroy the cattle 
ticks which are the carriers of disease, have caused some destruction 
to the trees, and, if persisted in, are likely to decrease considerably 
not only the number of trees, but, by doing so, also the water storing 
capacity of the country. In addition to the trees we had seen on 
the slopes of the Magaliesburg, and which we found again in the 
bushveld, we noticed numerous sugar-bushes (Proteas) in some parts, 
and even more frequently the Proteaceous tree Faurea saligtin with 
willow-like foliage (see fig. 1). This handsome tree with its pendant 
evergreen leaves was not infrequently infested by a Loranthus 
