~ 
180 | The Philippine Journal of Science 1917 
from the main crater were many very prominent stream’ 
beds, which apparently contained water only during heavy rains. © 
These widened rapidly as they approached the shore, forming 
large deltal fans. The photographs show very clearly that these 
fans were almost devoid of vegetation. Southwest of and near 
the main crater is a prominent cone, Mount Tabaro. Judging 
from the photographs this appears to have been much eroded 
and quite bare; it is probable, however, that various small clumps 
of grass were scattered over it. Plate V, fig. 1, is a photograph 
of the main cone of Taal Volcano and Mount Tabaro, taken in 
1909. In the center of the picture is the prominent gully run- 
ning southwestward from the main cone toward Mount Saluyan. 
The view is toward the north. On the main cone and in the 
gully there was certainly very little vegetation. 
On the low ridges between the dry stream beds the vegetation, 
grass and trees, came down to the edge of the water in many 
places. Plate V, fig. 2, is a view (1908) of the west side of the 
island and seems to show that trees predominated in this limited 
area. The upper part of the main cone appears to be entirely 
bare. Plate VI, fig. 1, also of the west side, shows grass at the 
edge of the water with most of the trees farther inland. This 
was taken during the period of activity in 1911 and on the day 
of the chief eruption which destroyed the vegetation. 
Trees predominated in certain localities on Mount Binintiang 
Malaqui. Plate VI, fig. 2, is from a photograph taken of this 
cone in 1909. 
A consideration of the cultural conditions on Volcano Island, 
previous to the last eruption, throws further light on the nature 
of the vegetation at that time. On the island there were seven 
villages. Six of these were located at the northern end and one 
on the southern coast. Only a small portion of the area was 
cultivated, but many cattle, carabaos, and horses grazed on the 
island. The meager description which we have of the vegeta- 
tion indicates that it was similar to that occurring on the main- 
land in places where the cultural conditions were similar. This 
is a common type of vegetation in the lowlands of Luzon in places 
where the original forests have been removed and consists of 
a mixture of grass land and small second-growth trees. _ It can 
best be designated by the local name parang, which has been 
used in this sense by Whitford,’ but was erroneously applied 
* Whitford, H. N., bees poyests of the Philt ines, Philip. B 
Bull. 10 (1911). ae wet tae! 
