68 NATURAL HISTORY. 



obtainable, articles of luxury were in demand, such as fine mats, printed 

 iappa, carved and ornamented work, feathers of splendid colours, and 

 oval plates or studs of nautilus shell for the adornment of head-dresses, 

 as also for various purposes hawk-bill, turtle and pearl shell. Besides mats 

 another description of clothing is made by savages from the ' Pandanus.' 

 I have mentioned that it throws out stays from the trunk ; these com- 

 monly cease to grow out higher than about six feet from the ground, as by 

 that time the growth of the tree upwards has stopped; before touching the 

 ground, where they take root, tbeir consistence is flexible and sappy. If cut off • 

 at this stage and soaked in water after being beaten with a mallet, these stakes 

 are found to consist entirely of fibres agglutinated together by an oily 

 sap ; they are, when well cleaned, pure white, soft and strong like 'jute' 

 or hemp, and are easily obtainable a yard long ; of this fibre they make 

 'jupons' and a sort of pouches, which are comfortable and serviceable. 

 1 have no doubt that this product, if generally known (which it is not), 

 could be turned to some valuable account ; it could be obtained in immense 

 quantity and at no cost but the work of cutting and cleaning, as the Panda- 

 nus completely overruns many coral islands and desert coasts. When we 

 come to consider the numerous wants of man — food, drink, clothing, shelter 

 and an infinity of comforts — which are supplied by the wood, leaves, fruit, 

 and sap of this remarkable tree ; when we reflect upon the fact that no 

 human being possessing a modicum of ingenuity and the instinct of self- 

 preservation can positively starve where it grows, and that its natural 

 locality is the most desert coasts of the tropic seas, luxuriating, as it does, 

 upon the barren beach immediately contiguous to high-water mark, where 

 there is no soil whatever or apparent moisture ; its nourishment being 

 derived from the arid sand, coral, gravel or boulders of rock, heated through- 

 out the day to a temperature sufficient to burn the human skin, one cannot 

 fail to experience a feeling of astonishment at so striking an evidence of 

 the providence of God." 



H. B. STERNDALE. 



A NOTE ON PANDANUS ODORATISSIMUS OR 



SCREW PALM. 



(Written at the request of R. A. Sterndale, Esq., f.z.s., 



to follow Ms paper.) 



The Pandanus we see here is of two kinds. The yellow variety is 

 generally called Ketalci feft%\) or Suwama Ketalci fraof ^sjr as distin- 

 guished from the white Kevada (%qit), or (^T?r"%?5T) Sweta Kevada. 

 The yellow variety is much more strongly scented, and is more highly prized 

 by the Hindu ladies, who wear it in their hair. Both these contain staminate 



