554 THE BOTANY OF FUNAFUTI, ELLICE GROUP, 



omnivorous Australian blacks do not appear to have used this 

 fern for food. 



Nephrolepis exaltata, Schott. — "Sulufe." 



Found on trees; the fronds are up to 8 feet in length. 



PoLYPODiUM nigrescens, Blume. — " Maile," " Maili," or 

 ♦' Meili." 



Used for scenting purposes. The young fronds are rubbed on 



the hands and bodies of the natives, who also use them for 



scenting coco-nut oil. 



LYC0P0DIACE5:. 



PsiLOTUM triquetrum, Swartz.— " Fulukimoa." 



IICHENES. 



Pannaria Mariana, Fee. 



A handsome foliaceous lichen on bark of a living tree (Coll. C. 

 E. Finckh). 



Previously recorded in this part of the world from the Rich- 

 mond River, jST.S.W., Queensland and New Zealand. (Deter- 

 mined by Mr. E. Cheel). 



Contemplation of the above incomplete list of 38 species of 

 Dicotyledons, 12 Monoctyledons, 5 Vascular Cryptogams, and 1 

 Lichen shows that the plants are all more or less widely dis- 

 tributed in the Pacific Islands as denizens of other coral islands 

 or of the coastal tracts of the larger islands. At the same time 

 it is very useful to have a census of the plants found on each 

 island or group of islands in the Pacific; and when this work 

 shall have been undertaken to a very much larger extent than 

 has been done up to the present, we shall be able to draw inter- 

 esting conclusions as to the migration and geographical distribu- 

 tion of plants which will be very much less based upon guess- 

 work than at present: 



The following expresses my views as to the probable or possible 

 Ways in which the present vegetation of the island obtained a 

 footing upon it. It is proper to state that in many cases we 



