PLANTS AND ANIMALS. 243 



white coral sanely with occasional thin beds and 

 ledg-es of coral cong'lomerate^ succeeded by a belt of 

 tang-led bushes and low trees^ after which the trees 

 become hig'her and the gTound tolerably free from 

 underwood_, with occasional thickets of woody 

 climbers. The cocoa-palm g-rows here in small 

 numbers^ usually several together^ overtopping* the 

 other trees among* which one of the Boinbacece (silk- 

 cotton trees) and Pisonia graridis attain the g-reatest 

 dimensions^ having* frequently a g-irth of t^^elve or 

 fifteen feet^ with a heig'ht of sixty or seventy. A 

 larg*e leaved Calophylliim is the prevailing* tree of 

 the island^ and among* the others I may mention a 

 Myristica and a CaryophyUmn^ neither of which^ 

 however^ are of the species furnishing* the nutmeg's 

 and cloves of commerce. 



Of mammalia a larg*e PteropuSy or fruit-eating* 

 bat^ was seen once or twice^ but no specimen was 

 procured. The little Indian rat occurs abundantly on 

 all the islands^ taking* to hollow log's and holes under 

 the roots of trees for shelter. Here it is tamer than 

 I have elsewhere seen it^ — by sitting* down in a 

 shady place^ and remaining* quiet^ I have sometimes 

 had three or four within a few yards of me playing* 

 about; chafing- each other^ or turning* over the dead fS 

 leaves. It even climbs bushes and low trees^ and 

 g'ets out among' the branches like a squirrel. 



Birds were plentiful^ and our sportsmen com- 

 mitted g'reat havoc among* the meg'apodii and pig'eons. 

 The former ^^'ere very numerous, running* about the 



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