444 FETCH : 



of the leaf, well-marked diffcrcuces in the character of the bark 

 which apjx'ar to be related to latex-yieldiiig capacity, and 

 variations also in the type of seed. It is usual to attribute 

 these variations to the effect of a new environment ; and they 

 are i)erhaps not more numerous than might be expected to 

 occur when so many thousands of plants are brought under 

 new conditions of giowth. Wiether these variations breed 

 true has not yet been determined, nor has it been decided 

 whether any particular types of leaf, seed, and bark are 

 constantly associated with one another. 



It has been customary to meet all such doubts by the state- 

 ment that Wickham collected the seeds of one species on the 

 Tapajos, and from those seeds all the cultivated Hcveas are 

 descended. But it will Ix? seen from the details alicady set 

 forth that this answer may not meet the case. Wickham 's 

 was certainly the main consignment, and was distributed to 

 Ceylon, (Singapore, and Burma ; but Cross's jjlants,^ which were 

 obtained within easy talking distance of Para, may have 

 been sent to Ceylon and Singapore, while both Burma and 

 Singapore received plants or seeds from Ceylon subsequently, 

 nearly all the old trees in the Singajwre Gardens being from 

 C<'ylon seed. There does not apjx'ar tf) have been any 

 flistinction made between the consignments, though the old 

 trees in the Fojcst Oiiice compound at Mergui, if they still 

 exist, are part of Wickham 's collection, while those at 

 Singapore and Kuala Kangsar are probably part of 

 Crf>ss's. 



Fn addition to these consignments there was the earlier 

 butch of seed obtained in 187IJ fiom Cameta, near Para. Six 

 of the seedlings raised were sent to Calcutta and need not 

 trouble us further ; but from the remaindei\ plants were pro- 

 pagated by cuttings at Kew (Kcw Report. 1875). and it would 

 seem quite jirohaljle that these would Ix^ distributed. In that 

 Ciise. th«tngli the bulk of the i)lants were derived from the 

 Taj)ajos. there are at least two other sources to be considered, 

 and under th<' circumstances it is apparent that a systematic 

 rxanjinati<»n o{ the plantation Hevea of the East is more 

 d(^sirable than has hitheito been supposed. 



> but tiuu Addendum, p. 520. 



