OCEANIC DISPERSAL OF PLANTS. 311 



covered by me. But of the mode of dispersal of the greater bulk of the trees and shrubs 

 with which I became familiar in my excursions I can only conjecture. Many of them 

 possess fruits that would probably attract the fruit pigeon, which is able to swallow fruits 

 as large even as a hen's egg. It is noteworthy that, with the exception of one species 

 of Areca, no palm fruits were found in the pigeons' crops ; and the fruits of most of the 

 palms collected sink both in fresh and salt water. Of three species of Areca experimented 

 upon, the fruit of only one — the common betel-nut palm — floated. Among other fruits 

 that were observed floating were Gomphandra sp., a second species of Calophyllum, a 

 species of Harpullia, and some Scitaminese, which constitute a conspicuous feature in the 

 ve£retation of the region. 



ROUGH LIST OF THE DRIFT SEEDS AND SEED-VESSELS COLLECTED BY 



DR H. B. GUPPY. 1 



GUTTIFER^E. 



CalopJi yllum inophyttum. 



STERCULIACE.E. 



Heritiera littoralis. 



Rhamnace:e. 

 Smythea sp. 



Leguminos^e. 

 Canavalia sp. 

 Mucuna gigantea. 

 Mucuna sp. 

 Dioclea reflexa ? 

 Dioclea sp. 1 

 Pongamia glabra. 

 Pterocarpus sp. 

 Ecastaphyllum ? 

 Cijnornetra ? 



C'atsalpinia nuga. 

 Bauhinia sp. 1 

 Acacia sp. ? 



CoMBRETACEiE. 



Terminal! a sp. 

 Lumnitzera coccinea. 



RuBIACEiE. 



Guettarda speciosa. 



B0RAGINE.E. 



Cordia subcordata. 

 Laurine^. 

 Hernandia sp. 



EuPHORBIACE-E. 



Exccecaria indica. 



AMARTLLIDE.E. 



Crinum asiaticum. 



A comparison of the foregoing list with the preceding enumeration of Mr Moseley's 

 drift seeds and seed-vessels shows that many are the same. Few of them call for special 

 remarks. The Smythea is probably Smythea pacifica, Seem., concerning the distribution 

 of which little is known. The large proportion of Leguminosse is in accord with all pre- 

 vious experience. Cordia subcordata and Crinum asiaticum are interesting ; the large 

 spongy tuber-like seed of the latter seemed to be quite sound when cut. 



The collection of seeds and seed-vessels taken from pigeons'- crops shot in the Solomon 

 Islands by Dr Guppy consists of a dozen species, to several of which, and some others, 

 references are made in Dr Guppy's notes. We have been less successful with these than 

 we were with Mr Moseley's, having failed to determine the genera of half of them ; but 



1 About one third of the species collected have not yet been recognised. 



