AND OBSERVED AT THE ADMIRALTY ISLANDS. 75 



watery vapour hung about the forest-clad ranges, keeping the 

 mountains most frequently concealed ; and in the evenings clouds 

 of mist hung about the lower land, looking like smoke rising from 

 between the densely packed trees. In a bay some miles to the 

 eastward of the anchorage of the ' Challenger/ the mouth of a 

 small river, apparently the outlet of the drainage of the mountains 

 on this side, was found, and also a very small brook ; but running 

 water was not elsewhere observed, and the rain probably drains 

 to a large extent into the swamps. 



The main island, as viewed from seawards, is seen to be densely 

 wooded everywhere. Along the summits of the ridges cocoa-nut 

 palms show out against the sky, accompanied by areca palms, as 

 can be made out on a nearer view. The general dark»green mass 

 of vegetation on the hill-sides is festooned with creepers, and 

 shows a peculiar horizontal banding of somewhat lighter green, 

 due to the presence in abundance of a leguminous tree (Acacia ?), 

 which has its branches and leaves spread in a succession of hori- 

 zontal layers, contrasting strongly with the general mass of 

 more vertically directed foliage. A. closely similar appearance 

 strikes the eye at first sight on viewing the vegetation of the 

 Banda Islands. The tree producing the effect is probably the 

 same in both cases Unfortunately, of this, as of all the other high 

 trees, no specimens were procured. 



The smaller outlying islands dotted about in front of the main 

 island are all thickly wooded. The inhabited ones are distinguished 

 at once by the large number of cocoa-nut trees growing upon 

 them and forming the main feature of their vegetation. 



In several points of the coast there are mangrove-swamps, in 

 one of which I collected three species of mangroves. Where the 

 land rises a little higher, so as not to be constantly overflowed by 

 the tide, there is a sandy beach ; and the shore is lined by various 

 littoral trees, amongst which a Barringtonia and a tree * with oval 

 leaves and a pear-shaped fruit with a stony kernel (Calophyllum 

 inophyllum) are the most frequent. The trees overhang the sea 

 with immense horizontal branches ; and the bases of many of the 



* On the small Observatory Island it is the only tree, except a Pandanus 

 and a young Barringtonia 1 foot high, the fruit of which has drifted up and 

 germinated. The roots of this tree are gnawed by a terrestrial Pagurid (Cotno- 

 bita) which inhabits the small islands in abundance ; twenty or thirty of these 

 crabs were to be seen gnawing at one long wound in a root, apparently feeding 

 on an exuding gum. 



