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fruit found on the shores of Jamaica, the history of which is as fol- 

 lows : — Dr. Morris when in charge of the Jamaica Botanical Depart- 

 ment made a collection of drift fruit and seeds washed ashore in that 

 Island. Among these was a curious fruit or seed which could not be 

 identified. The writer, then employed in the Jamaica service, 

 assisted Mr. Morris in the selection and packing of the set for Kew, 

 and in doing so happened to notice the seed in question. In January 

 1889, an article appeared in Nature from Dr. Morris who in the end 

 after quoting all known references, stated that " we are still without 

 information as to the origin of the fruit or the plant bearing it." 



Having a distinct remembrance of the fruit, the writer at once 

 commenced a search among the specimens and papers left by his pre- 

 decessors, and was fortunate enough to find among Criiger's drawings 

 a most complete one of Saccoglottis amazonica, in the details of which 

 he at once recognised the familiar likeness of the Jamaica drift fruit, 

 and in writing to Dr. Morris, in March, 1889, these drawings were 

 sent on to Kew. 



These have now been thoroughly examined, and as a result, they 

 have solved the mystery of the Jamaica drift fruit which is now 

 shewn to be the seed of Saccoglottis amazonica, a tree which was 

 found by Criiger, when travelling in the Irois District many 

 years ago. The tree is also found at Teffe or Egas on the right 

 bank of the middle Amazon, where it was collected by Martins and 

 others. From these points the fruits drift to the shores of several 

 West Indian Islands and it has been found also to have crossed the 

 North Atlantic, and to have found a resting place on different points 

 on the shores of Western Europe. 



Dr. Morris in his recent article lays great stress upon the value 

 of field drawings and dissections, which he declares to be of the 

 greatest value in the elucidation of questions of a character similar 

 to that surrounding the origin ot the " Jamaica drift seed." 



10th March, 1895. 



Note. — Since the above Avas writtei several trees have been discovered in the 

 district where Criiger collected, and further specimens have been secured which 

 will form the subject of a future note. 



