







10 



ME. H. N. EIDLET ON THE 





for, as we shall see, the plants whose seeds are eaten by the birds, 

 and the Gonolohus, whose downy seeds line the nest of the Tyrant, 

 are carried about everywhere. But, on the other hand, where the 

 convicts had made paths through the woods, and especially where 

 they were able to take the horses for the purpose of fetching fire- 

 wood, these weeds had followed and established themselves. 



currents 





Mr. W. B. Hemsley, in Bot. Voy. Chall. pt. iii. App. pp. 277-313, 

 has given a good account of all that is at present known about 

 these plants, but much yet remains to be ascertained. I 

 fear I can add but little, for though both at Pernambuco and 

 on Fernando Noronha we carefully sought for drift-fruits and 

 seeds, we were only rewarded by finding two seeds of Mucuna 



in Sueste Bav. a plant not vet established there. The 



ureus 



which strikes the island of Fernando 







which passes up along the east coast of Brazil. This current 

 would naturally strike the island on its south side, and would 

 bring with it seeds from the southern regions of Brazil. It 

 would be aided also at the time of year at which we were 

 upon the island by the trade-winds, which blow from the south- 

 east, and, indeed, we found upon the sands of the bays on 

 that side numerous marine plants and oceanic animals, such as 

 Velellas, JPhysalias, and Ianthina, which we did not see at all 

 on the northern side, besides the above-mentioned seeds of 

 Mucuna. But there are a number of plants upon the island of 











: 



are 





with 



These are Canavalia 





obtusifolia t Bhynchosia minima, Abrus precatorius, Acacia JFar- 



omcea 







vermicularis, Talinum patens, JPortulaca oleracea, JRicinus com- 

 munis, Laguncularia racemosa. Besides which, species of the 



JEryth 



and Pisonia, each of which here 



supplies an endemic species, have been met with as drift-seeds. 

 Jatropha Pohliana and J. urens, both common on all par 





■ 











mam island, and also on Hat Island, are 





drift-seeded plants. The bark and wood of the former was very 

 common on the shores at Pernambuco. 



Canavalia and PTtiloxerus occurred all along the coasts of Bat 

 Island and the main island, and very rarely went very far from 









beach 



Farnesiana may have 



. 





. 















■ 













■ 



■ 

 ■ 





















\ 









