— 240 — 



This is the case especially on the exposed north coasts of St. 

 Thomas and St. Jan. (Fig. 25). 



The Cocco^o6a-Manchineel formation firstly consists of the two 

 species which have given it its name, namely Coccoloba uvifera (L.) 

 Jacq. often forming an association nearest the sea, and Hippomane 

 Mancinella L. inside it; both species have been described and fig- 

 ured in my earlier paper. In addition to this I may only add 

 that while the Coccoloba is evergreen Hippomane according to Eggers 

 is deciduous, as for a short time in the month of March it is 

 said to be without any leaves, though I for my part have never 

 seen this during my stay on the islands. Whereas Terminalia 

 Catappa L. is quite leafless in February and March. 



On St. Croix Coccoloba and Hippomane as a rule occur in com- 

 pany, whereas the Manchineel-tree is more rare on St. Thomas and 

 St. Jan, so that there is often found here an almost pure Coccoloba 

 association, or the Manchineel is replaced by the beautiful tree Ter- 

 minalia Catappa L. imported from the Asiatic sea-shore and 

 peculiar for its growth. And in addition to these species several 

 others appear, firstly several of the above-mentioned bushes from 

 the Tournefortia formation, and besides some others of which a 

 more detailed description is to be found in my earlier paper. This 

 littoral forest is also the home of the cocoanut-palm and in several 

 places the littoral forest has been cleared and replaced by cocoanut- 

 palm forest. 



The littoral forest is often highly marked by the wind (cfr. 

 Plate 4 in my earlier paper); it is of great importance as giving 

 shelter to the land inside. 



Referring to my earlier description, 1 need only describe here 

 some photographs, which I hope will be better able to illustrate 

 the conditions. 



Plate IV thus shows the Pes caprce formation beautifully deve- 

 loped. It has been taken on the outermost point of Sandy Point, 

 the sandy south-west Point of St. Croix. On account of the condi- 

 tions of the currents, a stream running in a western direction along 

 the south side of St, Croix and another in a southern direction 

 along the west end of St, Croix, there have gradually been deposited 

 at the south-west point, where the currents meet, large masses of 

 sand, which extends as a sand bank out into the sea in a south- 

 western direction. On the broad sandy shore a well developed 



