284 REV. R. BARON ON THE 
from four to six inches in diameter. It is one of the very 
commonest trees in the western parts of the island, although it 
is chiefly confined to the valleys and the river-banks. A second 
species of Ficus (F. sakalavarum), very similar to this in outward 
appearance, known as * Adabolahy," but with a much smaller 
fruit, is also somewhat common, but by no means so abundant as 
the “ Adabovavy." Alyxia lucida, a climbing shrub belonging 
to the Apoeynacex, has a pod-like, bright scarlet fruit composed 
of a series of oblong joints. The natives call it “ Andriambavi- 
fohy," and use the bark and leaves in the manufacture of rum. 
As for the Tamarind-tree, its original home is unknown. At the 
present time it occurs in Madagascar (in the Western Region 
only), Tropical Africa, India, North Australia, Mauritius, and 
Rodriguez. Now I am strongly of opinion that the tree is truly 
indigenous in Madagascar, for, in the first place, it does not 
merely occur (as introduced plants almost always do) near 
villages, or along the roadsides, or in scattered patches ; it 18 
equally distributed and widely spread throughout the whole of 
Western Madagascar, whether in valleys or on the open plains. 
It has, moreover, purely native names, which is not always the 
case with introduced plants. Its names are “ Madilo” and 
“Madiro.” It is also called * Kily," from which the word 
“ Sikidy " (divination) is probably derived, the seeds of the tree 
being employed in the working of the divination board. For 
these reasons, but chiefly from the mode of its distribution, I am 
convinced that the tree is truly a native of Madagascar, and that, 
if it is not also indigenous in other countries, the western part 
of the island forms its original home. The Sakalava, it may be 
remarked, employ an infusion or decoction of the leaves as a 
vermifuge and as a remedy for disorders of the stomach; they 
also obtain from the tree a kind of black dye. 
On the west coast, especially perhaps near the mouths of 
rivers, there are numerous and extensive mangrove swamps. 
One of the most common of the mangroves is the Rhizophora 
mucronata, which occurs on the sea-shore in many parts of the 
tropics of the Old World. The Malagasy name of the tree, as 
probably also of other mangroves, is * Honko." 
the larger leaves (or occasionally larger fruit), and the word “ lahy " = male, to 
the one with the smaller leaves (or smaller fruit). The reason for this I do 
not know, but it is the universal practice. 
